Memphis Meats, a leading company in cell-cultured meat, poultry and seafood has changed its name to UPSIDE Foods. This signifies the company is now ready for business with its first consumer product: chicken.
"Our team introduced the world to cultured meat, and the evolution to UPSIDE Foods communicates our passion and potential to make our favorite foods healthier for the planet," said Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of UPSIDE Foods. "Our new name showcases the work we are doing to make eating meat a force for good. We can't wait for consumers to try our UPSIDE chicken soon. If you love chicken and the planet, UPSIDE is for you."
UPSIDE Foods founded the field of cultured meat in 2015. With today's announcement, it is making good on its founding promise to consumers that they could continue to enjoy their favorite foods humanely and sustainably. With this major milestone on that journey, they are also announcing that UPSIDE Foods' chicken will be available to consumers this year, pending regulatory review.
"Consumers are hungry for products that are humane, sustainable and delicious, and UPSIDE Foods is meeting them at the center of their plates with meat they can feel good about. This has the potential to revolutionize the way people eat and is incredibly exciting. The world 20 years from now may be completely different due to UPSIDE Foods, which is why I've personally invested in the company," said John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods.
Grown completely from animal cells, the UPSIDE chicken is real meat cultivated without the need to raise an animal, and is not a plant-based meat alternative. Chicken was chosen as UPSIDE Food's launchpad to commercialization because it is quickly becoming the meat of choice for consumers around the world, and its versatility lends itself to a diverse set of recipes and culinary applications spanning geographic regions and styles.
To create this sustainable meat at scale, UPSIDE Foods has broken ground on a pilot plant in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first custom-built for meat cultivation, the end-to-end facility will produce, package and ship cultured meat at a larger scale than any other company in the industry, all under one roof. With meat demand expected to double in the next 30 years, meeting this demand is unsustainable using current production methods. The UPSIDE Foods' pilot plant will be an international model for creating real, delicious, resource-efficient meat.
"We want to become the preferred brand for the next generation of meat lovers," added Maria Occarina Macedo, Director of Brand and Creative at UPSIDE Foods. "And we wanted our brand to reflect the essence of what our product and company is all about: delicious, sustainable and humane meat for everyone. The future of food is all about activating the upside."
With an optimistic and approachable brand tone and a vibrant, uplifting color palette, the UPSIDE Foods brand aims to bring consumers along the journey of improving our food system. It communicates not only the functional benefits of cultured meat but also the positive, big-picture impacts it can have on our health, animals and the planet.
About UPSIDE Foods
Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods (formerly known as Memphis Meats) is developing methods to cultivate meat directly from animal cells, without the need to breed or slaughter animals. The company released the world's first cultured meatball in February 2016 and the world's first cultured poultry in March 2017. It aims to bring to the market delicious, real meat that is significantly better for the environment, animals and public health, while claiming a share of the $1.4 trillion global market for meat.
