UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) is opening what it says is the most advanced cultivated meat production facility in the world.
The Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center (EPIC) features a 53,000-square foot campus in Emeryville, California, which is designed to produce any species of meat, poultry, and seafood, directly from animal cells.
INSIDE THE CENTER
EPIC, which contains custom-made, patented cultivators, can produce over 50,000 pounds of finished product, with a future capacity of over 400,000 pounds per year.
UPSIDE will use the center to develop new product formats, types of meat, and production processes. At full capacity, EPIC will employ about 50 employees.
“This facility is a gamechanger not just for UPSIDE Foods, but also for the entire food system,” said UPSIDE executive Dr. Konrad Müller-Auffermann, in a press release.
Cultivation Room
Formulations & Packaging Room
LAB-GROWN MEAT GETS USDA INVESTMENT
Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO of UPSIDE, noted: “When we founded UPSIDE in 2015, it was the only cultivated meat company in a world full of skeptics.”
Now, cultivated (or lab-grown) meat is making strides in the industry. For example, the USDA recently made its first investment in lab-grown meat, with plans to award $10 million over the course of five years to Tufts University to establish the National Institute for Cellular Agriculture, a flagship American cultivated protein research center, reported VegNews (Oct. 15).
The project aims to create a more resilient food system by developing “outreach, extension, and education for the next generation of professionals” in the field of cellular agriculture.
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