Five cutting-edge food companies who are looking to bring cell-based/cultured meat, poultry and seafood to restaurants and retail shelves formed the Alliance for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation), a coalition focused on educating consumers and stakeholders about this “new” industry and advocating for a clear path to market for their products. Founding member companies include makers of cell-based/cultured seafood BlueNalu, San Diego, Calif., and Finless Foods, Berkeley, Calif.; makers of cell-based/cultured meat and poultry Fork & Goode, Nutley, N.J., and JUST, San Francisco; and Memphis Meats, a Berkeley, Calif.-based maker of cell-based/cultured meat, poultry and seafood.

Members of AMPS Innovation understand that cell-based/cultured meat, poultry and seafood is one solution that will help fulfill the increased demand for meat.

All five member companies are currently in the research and development phase, but expect to make products available in the next several years. AMPS Innovation aims to provide a central, unified resource for consumers, stakeholders and policymakers as their industry advances.

“The Alliance for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation was founded on a desire for members of our industry to come together and speak with a unified voice, as we emerge as a viable, impactful partner in the overall food and agriculture sector,” Lou Cooperhouse, co-founder and CEO of BluNalu; Michael Selden, co-founder and CEO of Finless Foods; Niya Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Fork & Goode; Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of JUST; and Dr. Uma Valeti, co-founder and CEO of Memphis Meats, said in a joint statement. “Over the past few years, each member company has made significant strides in the development of our products, and we are excited at the prospect that they will soon be options in the everyday diets of individuals. We are committed to an open and science-based dialogue with all stakeholders, including industry partners, policymakers, advocates and consumers. As we look ahead to the imminent challenges of feeding a growing population, AMPS Innovation is dedicated to working together, in partnership with the broader agricultural community, to advance solutions to address these needs.”

In the coming months, AMPS Innovation intends to engage policymakers and stakeholders to educate on their products in addition to working with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to build out a regulatory framework for cell-based meat, poultry and seafood.