Science fiction is about to become reality: for the first time ever, no-kill, cultured meat will soon be available for purchase by consumers, a landmark moment for the meat industry. U.S. company Eat Just has received regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency, which is the Asian country’s statutory board that oversees food safety and security in its borders. The approved product, lab-grown chicken, will soon be sold as chicken nuggets at a restaurant in Singapore.
The San Francisco-based startup, which develops and markets plant-based alternatives to conventionally-produced egg products, was founded in 2011 under the name Beyond Eggs then shortly changed its name to Hampton Creek Foods. It became well-known for its product Just Mayo, a vegan mayonnaise-like condiment that utilized an egg substitute (a product also not without its controversies). The company changed its name again in 2018, this time to Just, but after trademark litigation from Jaden Smith’s water company, also with the same name, the organization settled on its current moniker.
In an interview, Eat Just co-founder Josh Tetrick said, “I think the approval is one of the most significant milestones in the food industry in the last handful of decades. It’s an open door and it’s up to us and other companies to take that opportunity. My hope is this leads to a world in the next handful of years where the majority of meat doesn’t require killing a single animal or tearing down a single tree.”
As for when the company expects the U.S. to follow suit, Tetrick acknowledges that while they are already in talks with U.S. regulators, he doesn’t expect it to happen in the immediate future. “I would imagine what will happen is the U.S., Western Europe and others will see what Singapore has been able to do, the rigors of the framework that they put together. And I would imagine that they will try to use it as a template to put their own framework together.”
According to a press release from Eat Just, in order to get regulatory approval in Singapore, “the company included details on the purity, identity and stability of chicken cells during the manufacturing process, as well as a detailed description of the manufacturing process which demonstrated that harvested cultured chicken met quality controls and a rigorous food safety monitoring system.” It also “demonstrated a consistent manufacturing process of their cultured chicken by running over 20 production runs” in the bioreactors and it “demonstrated that harvested cultured chicken met the standards of poultry meat, with extremely low and significantly cleaner microbiological content than conventional chicken.”
So how did the food manufacturer produce its groundbreaking chicken product? Simply put, the cells for the cultured chicken were sourced from a cell bank which used biopsies of live animals (so no living creature was slaughtered in the process) and combined those with plant-based ingredients for nutrition in a 1,200-liter bioreactor. Meat grown in this manner not only avoids the use of antibiotics and hormones, it circumvents the issues of bacterial contamination from animal waste.
As of now, there are more than two dozen companies globally hoping to make headway in the cultured animal protein category, a yet unproven segment of the alternative meat market which Barclays (the British multinational investment bank and financial services company) estimates could be worth $140 billion by 2029.
According to Bruce Friedrich, cofounder and executive director of The Good Food Institute (GFI), an international nonprofit that promotes plant-based alternatives and cultivated meat as alternatives to the products of conventional animal agriculture, the regulatory approval for Eat Just’s chicken, “is a very big deal for the future of meat production globally. A new space race for the future of food is under way.”
The monumental impact of this achievement should not be taken lightly. The landmark move of finally bringing lab cultivated animal proteins to market is just the first step in what could eventually be a down-the-road solution to addressing the ever-increasing issue of hunger around the world.
And speaking of addressing food insecurity, Safeway Eastern once again hosted its annual Feast of Sharing during the week of Thanksgiving. Now in its 21st year, the traditionally large scale event that celebrates the season of giving by providing those less fortunate with a Thanksgiving meal, a clothing giveaway and a community services expo that would include free health screenings, flu shots and haircuts, could not take place as it typically has in the past out of concern for the COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently battling. However, the retailer, along with Events DC (the company that owns and manages the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, RFK Stadium, and Nationals Park among other DC venues), and their community partners were still able to provide 5,000 meal boxes and gift bags (which included winter clothing accessories and PPE) to 20 DC-area non-profits that distributed the items to neighbors in need.
“Safeway Feast of Sharing is a cherished holiday tradition. While we can’t gather in person this year, we are pleased to continue our tradition of sharing and caring,” said Albertsons Mid-Atlantic division president Jim Perkins. “Alleviating hunger is an important priority for Safeway, and the need is greater than ever before. This Thanksgiving, we are proud to work with our local partners to provide meals and gifts to community nonprofits, allowing us to keep the Safeway Feast of Sharing spirit alive.”
Also tackling holiday food insecurity is Giant Food, which launched a two week in-store fundraiser on December 1 (in conjunction with Giving Tuesday) that will benefit five area food banks that are part of the Feeding America network: Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Dubbed “Lend A Hand For Hunger,” the campaign gives customers an opportunity to get involved in supporting their neighbors by rounding up their change on their in-store purchases to the nearest dollar amount at checkout in all 164 stores. Additionally, the Landover, MD-based grocer donated 6,000 Nature’s Promise turkeys that will assist in feeding over 72,000 people this holiday season.
“We are pleased to continue the annual tradition of supporting our food bank partners in the form of turkey donations and are excited to give our customers a new opportunity to support their neighbors in need as well,” said Ira Kress, president of Giant Food. “Giant values the importance of being a good neighbor and we are grateful that our customers continue to support us in this mission at a time when it is so vital.”
Not to be outdone, sister retailer The Giant Company not only donated a record a record-breaking 10,000 turkeys to 28 partner food banks for Thanksgiving last month, it also awarded product and financial donations totaling $25,000 to six local nonprofit organizations across Pennsylvania in honor of Giving Tuesday. Additionally, the Carlisle, PA-based chain hosted an in-store food drive through December 3 to further stock the shelves of community hunger relief organizations.
“Of the many lessons we’ve learned this year, one is the lasting impact an act of kindness can have and how we can change the world by giving back,” said Emily Steinkamp, social impact manager at The Giant Company. “While The Giant Company works 365 days a year to help make our neighborhoods and families stronger, surprising some of our incredible nonprofit partners on Giving Tuesday is a way for us to say thanks for the care and support they’ve provided to their community in a year unlike any other.”
Weis Markets also celebrated Giving Tuesday by joining customers in supporting local non-profits on that day. Customers were given the opportunity to donate to a local non-profit (which were chosen by the associates at each store location) by rounding up their order or by purchasing a $1, $3, $5 or $10 voucher at checkout. Additionally, each Weis location has agreed to match the customer donations with a $500 contribution.
“This is a time of quiet desperation for many nonprofits. Demand has soared while donations have declined due to the pandemic and resulting economic downturn. Our CEO Jonathan Weis, his family and our company’s associates have been long committed to the communities where we operate,” said Ron Bonacci, vice president of advertising and marketing of Weis Markets. “We’re delighted to partner with our customers to provide this support, and we’re proud of the many associates who support and volunteer for charitable organizations in their communities.”
More than 150 local non-profits will benefit from the Sunbury, PA’s day of giving program this year, with an additional $10,000 of donations being distributed to other non-profit partners throughout the retailer’s coverage area.
Time and time again, the area’s retailers go above and beyond to help lift up the communities in which they operate. While it is especially noteworthy during this time when both the holiday season and the COVID-19 pandemic intermingle, their efforts and contributions are year-round endeavors that should not only be regularly acknowledged but also applauded.
Finally, before I sign off for December and for 2020, I would like to extend my heartiest and most sincere congratulations to Art Papazian, who recently retired from JOH, the Billerica, MA-based super broker. Art, who has more than 40 years in the grocery retail industry, began his career at Proctor & Gamble. After notable stints at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Barclay, Brown & Kavanagh, and Millbrook Distribution Services, he joined JOH in 1997 and not only co-founded its specialty division but was also instrumental in making it the success that it is today. However, don’t expect his contagious smile to disappear from the grocery scene just yet – he has started his own specialty and natural consulting and management business! Be sure to email him your congratulations at [email protected] and check out his new business website at artpapazian.com.
Wishing all of you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and a Very Happy New Year – may the winter holidays bring you joy, gratitude, contentment and hope for a better year to come!
Until next month AND year…
Karen can be contacted via email at [email protected]