Upside Foods steps up cell-based meat’s commercial production with Chicago plant

18 Sep 2023 ---Upside Foods will set up its first commercial-scale cultivated meat production plant – Rubicon – in the Chicago Metropolitan Area to broaden its commercial offerings, heighten scalability and bring down production costs. The plant will commence its commercial sales by producing ground cultivated chicken products, with plans to extend to other species and whole-textured formats in the coming times.

Based in Glenview, Illinois, the company’s latest facility will also focus on large-scale production, distribution and sale of cultivated meat products.

"The name Rubicon was chosen with an appreciation for its historical significance as a point of no return. This choice reflects our commitment to transforming the food industry and forging a path that differs from traditional methods of meat production, an Upside Foods spokesperson tells Food Ingredients First.

With a planned investment of more than US$140 million, the Midwest expansion will reportedly generate an estimated 75 new jobs across warehousing, logistics, bioprocessing, food production and other commercial duties, notes the company. 

“Establishing our plant in this region allows us to tap into a remarkable talent pool, a thriving innovation ecosystem and a notable history of meat production. We are grateful for the collaboration and partnership that we have built at the state, county and local levels in our site selection process,” says Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and Upside Foods founder.

Enabling a resilient food system
According to the UN, animal-based foods are generally associated with the highest greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This is because of extensive grassland requirements for which trees are cut down and CO2 is released into the environment. The organization suggests using cell-based/cultivated meat and innovation as one of the ways to tackle this issue. 

The UN suggests using cell-based/cultivated meat and innovation as one of the ways to tackle GHG emissions.Notably, alt-protein companies and governments are focusing on advancements to control these emissions and reduce animal suffering.

"Our goal is to move towards serum-free and ultimately, animal component-free media in all of our commercial processes, and we continue to work towards this. For instance, in December 2021, we announced the development of an animal component–free cell feed for select products," the spokesperson states.

For the manufacturing and design of Upside’s latest cultivated meat production site, the food innovator has partnered with Jacobs, which will provide engineering and technology solutions for design and manufacturing in the new premises.

Bob Pragada, CEO of Jacobs, says: “This project aligns with our Boldly Moving Forward strategy in challenging the status quo in the food industry. The meat industry is water- and land-intensive and a significant source of greenhouse gasses and yet global demand for meat continues to grow.”

“This facility will enable Upside to produce cultivated meat at a commercial scale, a key milestone in the company’s mission to create a more humane, sustainable and resilient food system.”

According to the Upside Foods' spokesperson, the company has also designed its technology platform to be "species-agnostic", which means that it can produce any type of meat, poultry or seafood, if it has the appropriate cells. 

"To date, we have successfully produced beef, chicken and duck and are actively exploring other species to expand our product offerings."

In June, Upside Foods received regulatory clearance for selling its cultivated chicken in the US, which marked a milestone in the cell-based meat space.

"The cultivated meat industry is currently in a phase of maturation. For the first time in the US, cultivated meat is available and consumers can experience it first hand and provide feedback," the spokesperson highlights. 

In addition, companies are actively advancing efforts to scale up production and establish robust supply chains, indicating a significant shift from research and development to full-scale commercialization.

The cell-based meat company also expanded its product portfolio to offer ground cultivated meat products such as chicken sausages, chicken sandwiches and dumplings earlier this year.

The Chicagoland protein production legacy 
Upside flags that it selected Glenview owing to its esteemed legacy in meat production, a shared commitment to innovation and sustainability and strategic geographical advantages.

According to the spokesperson, the company plans to undergo the same pre-market regulatory review process that it underwent for its California facility and its whole-textured chicken product before being able to produce and sell from the new facility.

Kyle Schulz, executive vice president of World Business Chicago, states that Upside’s “groundbreaking work” in growing meat, poultry and seafood directly from animal cells aligns with our region’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and the future of food.”

In June, Upside Foods received regulatory clearance for selling its cultivated chicken in the US (Image credit: Upside Foods).He further said he is eager to “work together to promote the greater Chicagoland region as a hub for innovative and sustainable solutions that address the challenges of our time and continue the Chicagoland legacy in protein production.”

The state-of-the-art plant, designed to house cultivators with capacities of up to 100,000 liters, will stand as one of the world’s largest and most advanced commercial cultivated meat facilities, notes the company.

“Building upon the knowledge gained from Upside’s Engineering, Production and Innovation Center (EPIC) in California, the new plant will cultivate meat at commercial scales and serve as a guiding force for the company’s future endeavors in scaling up its operations to the next level,” Upside Foods further states.

The cell-based meat company flags that it is laser-focused on the broad journey of technical scale-up, buildout of the supply chain ecosystem and continuing to move down the cost curve in its next chapter. 

"Further reducing the cost of cell feed and finding efficiencies in bioprocess scale up will play key roles in achieving our scale-up goals," concludes the spokesperson. 

By Insha Naureen