Singapore approves sale of meat made in a laboratory, becoming first country to do so

The product, created from animal cells without the slaughter of any chickens, will debut as a chicken bite with breading and seasoning in a single restaurant

Singapore is moving quickly to allow the sale of cultured meat, a move that fits into its broader food-security agenda

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Published: 9:01am, 2 Dec 2020Updated: 6:15pm, 4 Dec 2020

Eat Just Inc., a maker of meat and egg substitutes, has been approved to sell its laboratory-created chicken in Singapore, which becomes the first government to allow the sale of cultured meat.

The product, created from animal cells without the slaughter of any chickens, will debut in Singapore under the GOOD Meat brand as a chicken bite with breading and seasoning in a single restaurant. Eat Just is initially working with local manufacturer the Food Innovation and Resource Centre to make the cultured chicken. Additionally, the company is buying more equipment to expand sales to other restaurants – and eventually grocery stores.

“We want Singapore to be the focus of our manufacturing globally,” CEO Josh Tetrick said in an interview. “They’re just really forward thinking in building an enabling environment for this kind of work.”

Singapore is moving quickly to allow the sale of cultured meat, a move that fits into its broader food-security agenda. Photo: AFP

He added that the chicken’s flavour and taste are the same as the real thing.

Singapore is moving quickly to allow the sale of cultured meat, a move that fits into its broader food-security agenda. The densely populated island nation, which relies mostly on other countries for food, has deepened its focus on getting enough to eat for its 5.7 million people as the Covid-19 crisis exposes fragility in supply chains worldwide.

Authorities allow alternative proteins to be sold after they are found to be safe for consumption. This year, plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods Inc. entered the retail market in Singapore and Hong Kong with its product sold in grocery stores.

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