UPSIDE Foods, a leading player in the cultivated meat industry, is set to break ground on a state-of-the-art facility in Glenview, Illinois. The company aims to construct a commercial-scale cultivated meat plant, operational by 2025, with an initial capacity of millions of pounds of meat and the potential to expand to over 30 million pounds. UPSIDE Foods has received approval from US regulators to produce ‘whole-cut’ or ‘structured’ cultivated chicken products, which it currently produces on a small scale at its facility in California. The startup is awaiting regulatory approval to sell ‘unstructured’ or ground products. The new plant in Glenview will initially focus on producing ground cultivated chicken products and plans to expand to other species and whole-textured formats in the future.
The COO of UPSIDE Foods, Amy Chen, stated that the facility, known as ‘Rubicon,’ will boast a range of bioreactors, some capable of holding up to 100,000 liters. The company believes the unit economics at this scale will be attractive, but acknowledges the need to build a robust supply chain and scale up production to achieve the desired output. The company selected Glenview, Illinois due to its strategic location, pro-innovation business environment, and skilled workforce. The 187,000 square foot facility is expected to create a minimum of 75 new jobs.
Chen also addressed concerns regarding funding for the project. While the current capital is sufficient to initiate operations and make progress towards the full 30 million pound capacity, additional funding will be necessary. The startup emphasizes the importance of designing the Rubicon facility to accommodate larger-scale production, and research is being conducted to optimize processes and reduce costs, particularly related to cell culture media.
This development comes at a critical juncture for the cultivated meat industry. Startups face scrutiny regarding the scalability of their technology, while securing funding becomes increasingly challenging. Eat Just’s GOOD Meat division, for example, has faced legal issues concerning alleged non-payment of bills. Josh Tetrick, the founder of Eat Just, acknowledges the need for substantial new investments to finance a commercial-scale plant in the United States.
In terms of consumer appeal, Chen believes that cultivated meat resolves the paradox faced by conflicted carnivores who love meat but question the negative impact of traditional meat production. With a growing demand for meat and existing plant-based alternatives falling short, cultivated meat offers a solution that satisfies the taste preferences of consumers while addressing concerns about the process of conventional meat production.
Dr. Uma Valeti, co-founder of UPSIDE Foods, previously acknowledged that early projections about the speed of cultivated meat adoption might have been overly optimistic. Nevertheless, he emphasized the need for action and continued progress in the industry. He believes that the potential transformation of the meat industry is worth the time and effort, drawing a parallel to the development of Rome: an undertaking that took centuries rather than years.
UPSIDE Foods’ planned facility in Glenview, Illinois represents a significant step forward in the cultivated meat industry. As the company breaks ground on this state-of-the-art plant, it aims to address concerns regarding scalability and make cultured meat a viable alternative to traditionally produced meat.
