Company hosts "Freedom of Food" pop-up event
featuring UPSIDE's cultivated chicken in Miami, FL before the statewide ban took effect
on July 1, 2024
BERKELEY, Calif., July 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, cultivated meat was officially banned
in Florida. Days before this ban
took effect, UPSIDE Foods, the leading cultivated meat company,
hosted a "Freedom of Food" pop-up event on The Annex rooftop in
Miami on June 27. The event celebrated and advocated for
food freedom and innovation that can help build a better future. It
also marked the first time cultivated meat was available for the
public to taste free of charge.
At UPSIDE Foods' "Freedom of Food" pop-up, guests enjoyed
delicious cultivated chicken prepared and served by renowned
Miami chef, restaurateur, and TV
personality Mika Leon. Chef
Mika Leon crafted delicious tostadas
featuring UPSIDE cultivated chicken, prepared a la plancha con
sazón, garnished with avocado, chipotle crema, beet sprouts, and
fresh lime zest. This culinary experience was complemented by
drinks from Miami mixologist
Gio Gutierrez.
"We believe that cultivated meat is essential for the future of
food, and people should have the right to choose what they eat,"
said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods. "The purpose
of this event was to give Floridians a taste of cultivated meat –
something the state is unfortunately preventing them from enjoying
and benefiting from, both in terms of innovation and economics.
Despite Florida's ban, events like
this highlight the increasing interest in cultivated meat and its
crucial role in shaping a more sustainable future of food."
Cultivated meat, grown directly from animal cells, has the
potential to help meet the world's growing demand for meat in
a way that's more safe, humane and sustainable than conventional
methods. However, on May 1, 2024,
Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1084 into law, criminalizing
the production and sale of cultivated meat in Florida – a move that disregards food safety
experts, limits consumer choice, stifles American innovation, and
hampers Florida's ability to
participate in this burgeoning industry.
Having had the opportunity to work with UPSIDE's cultivated
chicken, I can attest that their products are delicious," said Chef
Mika Leon. "From appearance to aroma
and taste, their products provide the same experience you'd expect
from chicken. As a chef, I love the idea of preserving the foods we
love while using innovation to figure out ways to create a better
future of food."
The event attracted a diverse crowd, including Florida residents, families, professionals,
food enthusiasts, and curious consumers. Over 100 guests gathered
to get a taste of cultivated meat and engage in discussions about
the future of food.
For more photos from the pop-up, please visit UPSIDE Foods'
event press kit here.
About UPSIDE Foods
Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry
and seafood directly from real animal cells. These products are not
vegan or vegetarian—they are delicious meat, made without the need
to raise and slaughter billions of animals. Founded as the world's
first cultivated meat company in 2015, UPSIDE Foods has achieved
numerous industry-defining milestones, including being granted
approval to sell cultivated meat in the
United States in June 2023 and
completing the first consumer sale of cultivated meat in the U.S.
The company believes that people shouldn't have to choose between
the foods they love and a thriving planet, and is working to build
a better food system with access to delicious, humane, and
sustainable meat, poultry, and seafood. UPSIDE Foods has won
various industry awards, including New York
Times' Good Tech Awards, FastCo's Next Big Thing in Tech,
and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by
the National Association for Business Resources. UPSIDE Foods has
raised a total of $608 million,
including from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Baillie Gifford,
Bill Gates, Cargill, Future
Ventures, John Doerr, John Mackey, Kimbal and
Christiana Musk, Norwest, Richard
Branson, Softbank, Temasek, Threshold, Tyson Foods, and
others. For more information, please visit www.upsidefoods.com.
Media Contact
Brooke Whitney
media@upsidefoods.com
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SOURCE UPSIDE Foods