--- title: "California Factory Producing 50,000 Lbs of Lab Grown Meat Per Year" description: "A new facility in the Bay Area is producing lab-grown meat on a massive scale, capable of producing an astonishing 400,000 pounds a year." date: "2021-11-05" modified: "2021-11-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/california-factory-lab-grown-meat" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "lab grown meat" - "the digest" --- # California Factory Producing 50,000 Lbs of Lab Grown Meat Per Year ![A new facility in the Bay Area is producing lab-grown meat on a massive scale, capable of producing an astonishing 400,000 pounds a year.]() *\Image: Upside Foods\* ## Lab Rats A new facility in the Bay Area is producing lab grown meat on a massive scale, capable of producing an astonishing 400,000 pounds a year, the [*San Francisco Chronicle* reports]() — though for now, production is capped at a still-impressive 50,000 pounds per year. The factory covers 53,000 square feet and is run by food tech company Upside Foods, a Berkeley spin-off. The lab grown meat industry is only getting started, with new facilities [opening up around the world](). The benefits are tangible: ending our reliance on raising livestock could have significant effects on greenhouse gas emissions — while still allowing us to enjoy a juicy burger. ## Reality Check Despite the impressive output, the Food and Drugs Administration and Department of Agriculture have yet to clear lab grown meat for sale in the US — but that isn't deterring Upside Foods CEO Amy Chen. "It's not a dream," Chen told the *Chronicle*. "It’s not science fiction. It’s reality today." The product is produced like many other lab-grown meat products. Cells from live animals are cultivated in massive bioreactors using specialized nutrients, which is built into a scaffold-like "meat" that can be customized into different layers of fat and muscle. Now, the company is waiting for regulators to give them the green light. In the meantime, Upside Foods is reaching out to restaurants and chefs. Then, if all goes according to plan, it's on to selling the lab grown meat in grocery stores. The meat could end up costing about as much as higher-end chicken, Chen told the *Chronicle*. But will that be enough to convince consumers to make the switch, like [they did for plant-based meat]() alternatives? That remains to be seen. **READ MORE:** ['It's not science fiction': New East Bay facility producing lab-grown meat plans to produce 400,000 pounds per year]() \[*San Francisco Chronicle*\] **More on lab-grown meat:** *[Scientists Genetically Modify Plants to Grow Meat Protein]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()