When "Meat" Doesn't Tell the Whole Story: Why Food Literacy Matters in a Changing Food Landscape

What Has Actually Happened in the United States?

You may have encountered headlines or conversations saying the FDA has "approved lab-grown meat."

FDA itself uses more precise language.

Its voluntary premarket consultation evaluates a company's production process, cultured cell material, cell lines and banks, manufacturing controls, components and inputs. When FDA completed its first consultation in 2022, the agency reported that it had no further questions regarding the company's safety conclusion — but specifically stated that the consultation was not an approval process.

As of February 2026, FDA's inventory contains five completed consultations: three involving cultured chicken cell material, cultured pork-fat cells and cultured salmon cell material.

For applicable meat and poultry products, oversight is shared with USDA. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service oversees processing after harvest and requires applicable cultured meat and poultry labels to receive preapproval.

So, Should We Eat It?

That is not the question I want to answer for you.

And I don't believe wellness education should substitute fear for informed choice.

Instead, I want to help you develop the habit of asking better questions.

• What is this?
• How was it produced?
• What ingredients does it contain?
• How was its safety evaluated?
• What does its label tell me?
• What is known about its nutritional composition?
• What remains unknown?

And ultimately:

Does this align with how I choose to nourish myself and my family?

Food Literacy Is Health Literacy

Our bodies require nutrients to carry out the extraordinary work of living.

Food provides proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber and thousands of naturally occurring compounds in varying combinations.

That doesn't mean every new technology should be rejected.

Nor does it mean every food labeled "natural" deserves an automatic health halo.

It means we should know what we're choosing.

As innovation changes the food supply, food literacy gives us something valuable: agency.

The ability to read. To question. To investigate. To understand. And then to choose.

Take Your P.U.L.S.E.™

The next time you shop, don't only ask: What am I buying?

Try asking: How did this become food?

Turn the package around. Read the ingredients. Look for unfamiliar terminology. Investigate credible sources.

And when you encounter something new, resist both extremes — the impulse to fear it simply because it's unfamiliar and the impulse to accept it simply because it's available.

Pause long enough to become informed.

And don't forget to listen to your own body.

Ask yourself:

• How is my body responding to what I am eating?
• Do I consistently notice changes in my energy, digestion, mental clarity, mood, sleep, or overall sense of wellbeing after certain foods or meals?

Your body's response does not necessarily tell you why something is occurring, and a symptom alone cannot identify its root cause. But patterns can provide valuable information worth paying attention to.

Recognize and honor what your body may be communicating. Rather than automatically dismissing discomfort or pushing through it, become curious. Notice patterns. Ask questions. And when something persists or concerns you, consider discussing it with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Taking Your P.U.L.S.E.™ isn't about becoming afraid of food. It's about becoming more aware of the relationship between what you consume and how you function.

That's stewardship.

References

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Human Food Made with Cultured Animal Cells. Read the FDA resource.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Completed Premarket Consultations for Human Food Made with Cultured Animal Cells. View the consultation inventory.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Human Food Made with Cultured Animal Cells. Read the FSIS resource.