TWO companies in the US have been given the go-ahead to sell chicken created in labs from animal cells. 

Singapore was the first country in the world to approve the sale of lab-grown, or ‘cultured’, meat. Now Upside Food and Good Meat have both been told their products are safe for people in the US to eat. 

Cultured meat can be created from cells taken directly from a living animal or a fertilised egg. These are placed in a tank with food to help them grow and multiply. After several weeks, the meat is taken out the tank and shaped into nuggets, sausages or other familiar products. 

Farming animals to eat has environmental impacts, from growing feed to dealing with animal waste. There are also other concerns, such as how some farm animals are treated. Growing food in labs could remove these worries. 

At first, cultured meat will only be sold at posh restaurants, as the amount of it is limited and it’s more expensive than traditional meat. Eventually, it could be stocked at supermarkets, but sales may be slow until the price comes down. In a survey, half of US adults said they’d be unlikely to try meat grown from cells. 

What about you? Would you be happy to eat lab-grown meat? Let us know in the comments!