For the first time ever, the United States Department of Agriculture has approved the production of lab-grown chicken. The decision, which was announced on Wednesday, gives two California companies the go-ahead to begin selling cell-cultivated chicken.

The two companies vying for federal approval, Upside Foods and Good Meat, were given the green light to begin distributing their products to American consumers through exclusive restaurants, the Associated Press reports. Both companies received approvals for federal inspections that are required to sell meat and poultry in the U.S. This approval came months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that products from Upside Foods and Good Meat are safe to eat.

Although it will likely be years until cell cultivated chicken is available in grocery stores, the decision opens up an entirely new food category in the U.S. It's a monumental announcement for companies and consumers looking for more sustainable meat production methods that eliminate harm to animals.

Good Meat launched in Singapore in 2020, making it the first country to approve the sale of lab-grown meat. Currently, the company turns chicken cells into cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, and satays, according to the Associated Press. The brand is also currently working on other types of meat, including cultivated beef using cells from California pasture-raised cattle and Wagyu from the Toriyama farm in Japan.

The second company that received government approval to sell lab-grown chicken is Upside Foods. In 2015, Upside Foods founded Memphis Meats, the world's first cultivated meat company. Since then, the team has cultivated the first beef meatball, chicken, and duck. Currently, though, the chicken filet is the company's first product to market.

Lab-grown meat is made using cells from a living animal, fertilized egg, or bank of stored cells. At Good Meat, the cells are painlessly extracted from the best chickens and cows. The cells are then examined to see which ones are likely to produce the healthiest, most sustainable meat. Once the cells are selected, they're immersed in nutrients that an animal would feed itself in the wild. The cells grow and divide naturally and can be harvested in four to six weeks. After harvesting, they're molded to look like the chicken you see in stores today.

by Madeline Buiano | Martha Stewart