Cultivated Pork Fat Wins USDA Green Light, Marking a Milestone for Alternative Protein

In a historic first for the pork industry and the cultivated meat sector, San Francisco-based Mission Barns has received USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) approval for its cultivated pork fat product.

This groundbreaking approval includes a USDA inspection grant for Mission Barns’ pilot facility in San Francisco and label approval for its signature ingredient, Mission Fat—a cultivated pork fat designed for food manufacturers seeking premium flavor and texture in alternative protein products.

“This approval validates our core technology,” said Cecilia Chang, Chief Business Officer of Mission Barns. “We’re here to give food companies and manufacturers the missing ingredient that helps their products stand out: Mission Fat.”

Mission Barns also received a “no questions” letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year, confirming the safety of its products. This dual approval from both agencies makes Mission Barns the first company in the world to gain regulatory clearance for a cultivated pork product and the first in the U.S. to bring cultivated fat to market.

As a B2B-focused company, Mission Barns will provide its cultivated fat to food manufacturers and brands while licensing its proprietary technology to accelerate commercialization across the industry.