BERKELEY, CALIF. – Upside Foods has announced a temporary pause in its ambitious project to construct a 187,000-square-foot cultivated meat plant in Glenview, Ill.
The initial proposal, unveiled by the company in September 2023, outlined the development of a facility named “Rubicon.” This plant was slated to become the production hub for Upside Foods’ inaugural product – cultivated chicken. Subsequent phases were set to introduce additional species and diverse textured formats. The nomenclature “Rubicon” symbolized a pivotal point of irreversible commitment for the company.
The construction of the plant was anticipated to generate more than 75 job opportunities encompassing warehousing, logistics, bioprocessing, food production, and other commercial functions.
With the temporary suspension of its plans for the Illinois plant, Upside Foods has redirected its attention towards enhancing its Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center (EPIC) located in Emeryville, Calif.
A spokesperson from Upside stated, “In the course of planning for Rubicon, we identified a more efficient and cost-effective approach to achieving a similar production capacity and timeline for the initial phase of Rubicon. This involves a substantial expansion of our operations at EPIC.” The spokesperson emphasized that this strategy would facilitate scaling and commercializing their next-generation platform and products, currently undergoing regulatory scrutiny, while also extending resources for future endeavors. The company remains committed to the eventual establishment of a full-scale commercial facility.
EPIC, inaugurated by Upside in November 2021, spans 53,000 square feet and is designed to produce various meat, poultry, and seafood products directly from animal cells, whether in-ground or whole-cut formats. The facility includes dedicated areas for milling and mixing cell feed, product formulation, packaging, testing, and quality assurance, with provisions for federal inspectors to oversee the entire process.
