A composition comprising cryopreserved retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells having either an average maturity level at the time of freezing such that of the RPE cells that are recovered, at least 85% that were viable remain viable or wherein the average melanin content of the cryopreserved cells is less than 8pg/cell. Also claimed are pharmaceutical compositions suitable for treatment of retinal degradation comprising RPE cells having an average melanin content of less than 8pg/cell and methods of producing RPE cells by culturing pluripotent stem cells (embryonic stem cells) to form embryoid bodies or a multilayer population and isolating pigmented cells comprising brown pigment dispersed in their cytoplasm
