fbpx

Human Progress Logo Human Progress

01 / 05
Mission Barns Approved by USDA to Cultivate Pork Fat

Green Queen | Food Production

Mission Barns Approved by USDA to Cultivate Pork Fat

“The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorised the San Francisco pilot plant and product label for Mission Barns’ cultivated pork fat, three months after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a ‘no questions’ letter for the novel ingredient.

It means the startup has now completed the full regulatory pathway approval for cultivated meat in the US, enabling the launch of its first products into the market.

‘The FDA oversees the safety of the cell culture process, while the USDA inspects and approves the production facility and labelling for meat products. Together, they confirm that our cultivated pork ingredient is safe, truthfully labelled, and legally cleared to be sold as food,’ Cecilia Chang, chief business officer of Mission Barns, tells Green Queen.

‘It’s a critical milestone that allows us to launch commercially in the US – and one that sets the foundation for regulatory confidence in other countries as well.’

The company’s cultivated fat is mixed with plant-based ingredients to form Italian-style meatballs and applewood-smoked bacon, which will debut at Bay Area restaurant Fiorella Sunset and Sprouts Farmers Market this quarter.”

From Green Queen.

Gizmodo | Space

New FCC Rules Could Drastically Improve Starlink Capacity

“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday [4/30/26] to modernize its satellite spectrum-sharing rules, which could increase capacity for space-based broadband services by up to sevenfold…

The recent announcement comes as a revamp of the Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) framework, developed in the late 1990s. The original framework was designed to prevent radio signal interference caused by satellites in low-Earth orbit, or non-geostationary orbit (NGSO), from affecting higher-orbiting geostationary satellites (GSO). As a result, it limited the amount of energy transmitted by satellites in low-Earth orbit to ground-based equipment, thereby slowing broadband speeds for consumers.”

From Gizmodo.

The Guardian | Health Systems

First Malaria Drug for Babies Is Approved in Major Milestone

“The first malaria treatment for babies has been approved by the World Health Organization, opening the door to widespread use around the globe.

In parts of Africa, up to 18% of children under six months will be infected with malaria, but there has historically been no safe treatment for the smallest of them. There were 610,000 deaths from malaria in 2024, about three quarters of which were under-fives in Africa…

Medical leaders hope that Coartem Baby, which can be used to treat infants as small as 2kg (4.4lb), will fill the treatment gap. The drug comes as sweet cherry-flavoured tablets that can be dissolved into liquids, including breast milk…

Coartem Baby now has WHO prequalification, which indicates it meets international standards of quality, safety and efficacy, and will enable public-sector procurement for many countries with high rates of malaria, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.”

From The Guardian.

POWER magazine | Energy Production

NRC Unveils New Path for High-Volume Microreactor Licensing

“The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed a sweeping new licensing framework designed to push microreactors out of the lab and onto the grid at unprecedented speed. The proposed rule, called Part 57, is paired with a broader agency overhaul that earlier this year created the Office of Advanced Reactors (OAR), headed by longtime NRC official Jeremy S. Bowen. Together, the two moves represent the most significant shift in U.S. nuclear regulation in a generation—a direct response to White House Executive Order 14300 (Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and the bipartisan Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act.

Announced April 24, the proposed Part 57 rule creates a streamlined, risk-informed pathway for licensing microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles. The NRC and industry estimate it will save between $3.76 billion and $11.84 billion, depending on discount rate, largely by ‘reducing exemption requests and streamlining reviews.’ Construction permit and operating license timelines could shrink to six months to a year.”

From POWER magazine.

Associated Press | Conservation & Biodiversity

California Salmon Population Rebounds, Fishing Open Again

“Federal fishery managers voted Sunday to open waters off the coast of California to commercial salmon fishing for the first time since 2022, with the population rebounding after wet winters ended a long drought.

The decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to allow limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast is a win for the state’s salmon fishing industry, which has grappled with years of season closures due to dwindling fish stocks. The council, which manages fisheries off the West Coast, barred commercial salmon fishing off California for the past three years. It voted last year to allow some recreational fishing for the first time since 2022.”

From Associated Press.