UPSIDE Foods offers a novel approach to meat production with the potential for lower environmental impact and ethical benefits, but faces challenges in texture and availability. Murray's Cheese provides a curated experience for cheese lovers with a wide variety of artisanal cheeses and convenient subscription options, but relies on traditional livestock farming which raises environmental and ethical concerns.
| Attribute | Cultivated Meat (UPSIDE Foods) | Artisanal Cheese Subscription Boxes (Murray's Cheese) |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cultivated Meat (UPSIDE Foods) | Artisanal Cheese Subscription Boxes (Murray's Cheese) |
| Production Method | Cellular Agriculture. UPSIDE Foods grows meat directly from real animal cells, rather than raising and slaughtering animals. They start with a small sample of cells from a chicken egg. These cells are then cultivated in a nutrient-rich environment that includes water, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and salts. The cells multiply in cultivators, and after two to three weeks, the meat is harvested. | Traditional cheese making, with aging and curing processes. Murray's Cheese has state-of-the-art cheese caves where they craft and mature cheeses. |
| Regulatory Approval Status | UPSIDE Foods has obtained regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in the U.S.. They received a "No Questions" Letter from the FDA in November 2022. The USDA granted label approval in June 2023. UPSIDE Foods also received a Grant of Inspection (GOI) from the USDA in June 2023, allowing them to commercially produce and sell their cultivated chicken. | Not applicable, as this is traditionally produced cheese. |
| Environmental Impact | Cultivated meat is believed to have a lower environmental impact than traditional livestock farming. At scale, it may require up to 90% less land and water and emit up to 90% fewer greenhouse gasses. | Traditional livestock farming contributes to environmental degradation. |
| Nutritional Profile | Cultivated meat aims to be biologically equivalent to traditional meat, containing high-quality proteins, vitamins, and minerals. UPSIDE Foods' cultivated chicken consists of over 99% cultivated chicken cells. The FDA noted that UPSIDE's cultivated chicken had elevated folate levels compared to conventional ground chicken. | Traditional meat is a nutritionally dense food containing high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. |
| Taste and Texture | UPSIDE Foods' cultivated meat is designed to have the same flavor as traditional meat. Some tasters have found the texture of cultivated chicken to be similar to traditional chicken, while others have described it as rubbery or indistinct. | Murray's aims to enhance the depth of flavor in cheeses. The aging process can impart different flavors and aromas depending on the cheese type and aging environment. |
| Price | Not available | Murray's Cheese offers various monthly subscription boxes. The Classic Cheese of the Month Club starts at $63 per month. The Cheese Board of the Month Club is $113 monthly. |
| Availability and Distribution | UPSIDE Foods' cultivated chicken is initially available in select restaurants. Their cultivated chicken was first available to the public at Bar Crenn in San Francisco. | Murray's Cheese ships its products nationwide. They have a wholesale program and partner with Kroger to have cheese counters in supermarkets. |
| Ethical Considerations | Cultivated meat aims to reduce animal suffering by growing meat without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals. UPSIDE Foods uses animal cells, meaning the final product is real meat without the pain, cruelty, disease, waste and slaughter. | Traditional livestock farming raises ethical concerns about animal welfare. |
| Subscription Box Variety (Cheese Types) | Not applicable | Cheers to Cheese Club: Cheeses and accompaniments that pair with drinks. Cheese Explorer's Club: Bold and exclusive cheese selections. Globetrotter's Cheese Club: Cheeses from iconic cheesemaking regions. Cheese Board Club: Includes a variety of cheeses and instructions for creating cheese boards. Mac and Cheese Club: Seasonal flavors for mac and cheese. |
| Cheese Origin and Sourcing | Not applicable | Murray's Cheese sources cheeses from small producers across the globe. They partner with master cheese makers and passionate producers. |
| Aging and Curing Processes (Cheese) | Not applicable | Murray's Cheese ages cheeses in their cheese caves in Long Island City. They use time-honored techniques. The caves are calibrated for different types of cheeses. |
| Shipping and Handling (Cheese) | Not applicable | Murray's Cheese ships with ice packs to ensure the package stays cold for up to 72 hours in transit. They recommend using cheese paper to store the cheese. |