Mission Barns Secures USDA Approval for Cultivated Fat, Unlocking Strategic Partners with Next-Gen Flavor Solutions
San Francisco, CA – July 24, 2025
Cecilia Chang, Chief Business Officer at Mission Barns, with the world’s first USDA-cleared cultivated pork meatballs.
Regulatory clearance enables Mission Barns and its partners to introduce cultivated pork fat into foodservice and retail products for the first time in the U.S.
Mission Barns today announced it has received the green light from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its cultivated pork fat ingredient, a milestone that enables its first products to enter the US market. The approval includes a grant of USDA inspection for its San Francisco pilot facility and a label sign-off for its cultivated fat ingredient—following FDA approval earlier this year.
Mission Barns offers a breakthrough cultivated pork fat ingredient that empowers food companies to overcome critical flavor, health, and texture challenges. Their portfolio of fat solutions provides consumer packaged goods (CPG) food companies and manufacturers with an unparalleled ability to replicate the richness and depth associated with conventional meat products.
To demonstrate the versatile applications and commercial viability of their cultivated fat, Mission Barns is executing limited, high-impact launches. These include targeted product releases with key retail and foodservice partners like Sprouts Farmers Market and Bay Area restaurant Fiorella. These collaborations are designed to showcase to potential B2B partners and consumers how Mission Fat delivers superior flavor, mouthfeel, and functional benefits across diverse applications, paving the way for future widespread integration into their product lines.
“This approval validates our core technology and opens the door to deeper collaborations,” said Cecilia Chang, chief business officer of Mission Barns. “Our mission has always been to solve the biggest barrier to alternative proteins—taste. Cultivated fat is the key. We’re here to give food companies and manufacturers the missing ingredient that helps their products stand out: Mission Fat.”
At Fiorella, Chef Brandon Gillis has created seasonal Italian dishes featuring Mission Barns’ cultivated fat, including meatballs and bacon. The Sprouts retail placement similarly offers consumers a curated opportunity to cook and experience the products in a real-world setting.
Behind these activations is Mission Barns’ proprietary bioreactor technology, a novel system purpose-built to scale high-quality cultivated fat with commercial efficiency. The technology allows Mission Barns to serve a growing network of ingredient and co-development partners across foodservice and CPG sectors.
With regulatory approvals now secured, Mission Barns is accelerating B2B engagement across the U.S. and internationally. The company is actively building its partner pipeline, working with food leaders seeking high-impact ingredients that deliver on consumer expectations for taste and sustainability.
“There's a clear and growing interest in cultivated fat not just in the U.S. but globally. We’re currently in talks with potential partners in our pipeline who have expressed a strong need for our Mission Fat, and we're strategically positioned to scale our operations and meet that anticipated demand. We're excited to expand our reach and bring our innovative products to consumers worldwide,” added Cecilia Chang.
Mission Barns’ cultivated pork is created by growing real animal cells, eliminating the need for traditional livestock production while maintaining the same taste, texture, and culinary experience as farm-raised pork. This pioneering approach offers a more sustainable and scalable alternative to conventional meat, addressing climate change, food security, and animal welfare concerns.
Where to Find Mission Barns Products
Mission Barns Cultivated Italian-Style Meatballs will soon be available at Sprouts Farmers Market (3035 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611). Fiorella Sunset (1240 9th Ave, San Francisco) will feature Mission Barns meatballs and bacon as part of a limited dining series.
About Mission Barns
Mission Barns is a food company based in San Francisco. Founded in 2018, the company is producing cultivated meat for a more resilient and abundant food system with less land, energy, and water usage— all while reducing the risk of animal-borne diseases. For more information visit MissionBarns.com.
Company Contact
Mission Barns