"Literally cancer in fake meat form": FDA approves lab-grown meat, leaves internet skeptical 

The Food and Drug Administration have given their approval for human consumption of lab-grown meat on November 16, 2022.

Upside Foods, a San Francisco-based company that makes meat from cultured chicken cells, has been approved to sell its products in the market and to restaurants, after its facilities have been inspected by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture).

In a press release, the FDA stated that after evaluating the information submitted by the company, they did not have any questions about the "firm safety conclusion."

Upside Foods, formerly known as Memphis Meats, uses animal cell culture to take living cells from chickens and grow them in a controlled environment to produce "cultured animal cell food," or lab-grown meat. Uma Valati, the company's CEO, tweeted:

Internet users were uncertain about the new developments. Many took to Twitter to express their doubts, as one commented:

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"They are real meat, made without the animal": FDA declares safety of product, netizens weigh in

Social media users stood divided after the news was released. There is a clear divide seen between those who see merit in the product and those who are skeptical.

While some users outright stated no and said they would prefer natural meat, other Twitter users expressed that they were unsure about the FDA's clearance as there have been times when certain products have been wrongly approved in the past. Others pointed out that they don't know enough about their content, calling it "mystery meat."

One user, @pagan_urban, referred to the 1973 dystopian movie, Soylent Green, where the police distributes processed protein water-like food made from human remains to unsuspecting people.

Here are some of the responses seen on Twitter:

On the other hand, other social media users argued in favor of the lab-meat, saying it was ethical and environmentally friendly. These Twitteratis also pointed out that regular meat and lab-grown meat are genetically identical and do not contain any chemicals.

Additionally, it makes it easier to control the ingredients and therefore maintain transparency about its content.

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FDA's statement

Speaking on the concept, the FDA's commissioner of food and drugs, Dr. Robert M. Califf, and director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), stated:

"Advancements in cell culture technology are enabling food developers to use animal cells obtained from livestock, poultry, and seafood in the production of food, with these products expected to be ready for the U.S. market in the near future."

As per the press release, the meat is genetically indistinguishable from the one taken from a slaughtered bird. To explain this better, the company's CEO, Uma Valeti, told CNN:

"These products are not vegan, vegetarian or plant-based -- they are real meat, made without the animal."

Advocates for this product explain that since there is no need to slaughter an animal, it is ethical and will prove helpful in the climate crisis. Animal farming makes up almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Upside Foods will now work with USDA to finalize their approval before selling it to consumers.