California-based cell-cultured meat company UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats), announced that it received a “no questions” letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—making it the first company to achieve this milestone—for its cultivated chicken following thorough evaluations.

This letter indicates the FDA’s acceptance of UPSIDE’s conclusion that its cultivated chicken is safe for consumption. However, it is only a pre-market consultation and the company plans to work with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to gather the remaining approvals required for commercialization. 

The FDA has released a memo with details of the agency’s evaluation and a 104-page document prepared by UPSIDE Food detailing information regarding the safety and production process of its cultivated chicken filet.

Analyst QuickTake: This is a historic development for the cultivated meat industry as well as the US food industry. While Singapore is still the only country with approval for the commercialization of cultivated meat, the US represents a market with more commercial opportunities. Coming from the industry’s largest funding round to date , this development will further solidify UPSIDE’s position in the industry and pave its way to becoming the first company to sell cultivated meat in the US, pending further approvals.