The high-tech future of meat is just around the corner

Dec 01, 2022

Meat producers are paying attention now that a cultured meat company has passed a key regulatory hurdle.

Upside Foods became the first company to receive a “no questions” letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite some headlines, it has not received approval for any products but the FDA said it has no qualms about the Upside Foods cultured chicken manufacturing process.

Cultured meat is not a meat substitute like some of the plant-protein-based products that have recently hit the market. It is made of animal muscle cells grown in a lab.

The process first made headlines in 2013, when a hamburger made from lab-grown animal cells was announced with much fanfare. But with a price tag of more than US$250,000, it wasn’t an option likely to show up on fast-food menus.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.