Mission Barns has revealed the upcoming launch of its flagship products featuring cell-cultivated pork fat, following recent clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This development marks a significant milestone in the company's efforts to reshape the food landscape and address the challenges posed by an expanding global population.

The company’s initial offerings, Italian Style Cultivated Meatballs and Applewood Smoked Cultivated Bacon, are crafted using cultivated pork fat in combination with plant protein.

This innovative approach requires only a small sample from a pig, which is then cultivated using plant-based nutrients in a controlled environment. Mission Barns claims that a single animal sample can yield the equivalent meat output of millions of traditional farm animals, thereby enhancing food security while minimising environmental impact.

Eitan Fischer, founder and CEO of Mission Barns, underscored the urgency of addressing food security issues as the world anticipates an increase of 1.7 billion people over the next 25 years. “We need to innovate to find more efficient ways to produce delicious food products to feed the world,” Fischer said, noting that the company’s fat-first strategy not only enhances flavour and juiciness but also offers a more cost-effective and faster production method compared to conventional lean meat.

The company has secured its first restaurant partnership with Fiorella, an Italian restaurant group in the San Francisco area, which will serve as a launch platform for Mission Barns' cultivated products.

Additionally, the company plans to partner with a national supermarket chain, marking a significant step as it becomes the first grocery store in the US to offer cultivated meat.

Brandon Gillis, co-founder of Fiorella, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, noting the vulnerabilities in the current food supply chain and the promise that cultivated meat holds as a solution. “After meeting with Mission Barns and tasting its products, I wanted to ensure we created a partnership for this historic moment,” Gillis remarked.

Mission Barns is the first company globally to receive regulatory approval for cell-cultivated pork fat, following prior clearances for cultivated chicken.

The FDA confirmed that products made with Mission Barns' cultivated pork fat are deemed as safe as their conventional counterparts. This regulatory milestone not only positions Mission Barns as a leader in the cultivated meat sector but also reinforces the potential for cultivated products to contribute to a more resilient food system.