Cultivated meat pet food gains UK approval

The firm is the first in the UK to gain authorisation for the sale of cultivated pet food.

The announcement follows a collaborative process between Meatly and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Government departments have ensured that Meatly complies with all necessary regulations, while the firm has now passed APHA’s inspection process.

The manufacturer also prepared a safety dossier and conducted testing to demonstrate that its cultivated chicken is safe and healthy for pets. Testing included demonstrating that the cultivated chicken is free from bacteria and viruses, that the nutrients used to grow the cells are safe and that the final chicken product is safe, nutritious and free from GMOs, antibiotics, harmful pathogens, heavy metals and other impurities.

Launching samples this year

Meatly plans to launch the first samples of its commercially available pet food this year, but its primary focus will remain on cost reduction and scaling production to reach industrial volumes in the next three years.

Backed by £3.5m in investment, it has achieved regulatory approval in under two years of operation and developed a protein-free media which costs less than £1 a litre.

Commenting on the announcement, Owen Ensor, Meatly CEO said: “Today marks a significant milestone for the European cultivated meat industry. I’m incredibly proud that Meatly is the first company in Europe to get the green light to sell cultivated meat. We are proving that there is a safe and low-capital way to rapidly bring cultivated meat to market.​

“We’re delighted to have worked proactively alongside the UK’s regulators to showcase that Meatly chicken is safe and healthy for pets. Pet parents are crying out for a better way to feed their cats and dogs meat - we’re so excited to meet this demand. We can now continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice - ensuring we can feed our beloved pets the real meat they need and crave, in a way that is kinder to our planet and other animals.”​

Jim Mellon, founder of Meatly investor Agronomics, added: “Meatly’s regulatory approval is a landmark event for the industry. Through its technological innovation and close work with governing authorities, Meatly is helping prove that we can succeed in commercialising cultivated products for pets across the UK. Our pets consume huge amounts of meat every day and so this development can play a crucial part in reducing the emissions, resource consumption, and animal suffering caused by traditional meat production.”​

Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at NGO the Good Food Institute Europe, said that the decision underscores the potential for innovation that can reduce the negative impacts of intensive animal agriculture.

“The UK is a world leader in developing cultivated meat and the approval of a cultivated pet food is an important milestone,"​ Pardoe continued.

“The first UK applications for cultivated meat produced for humans remain under assessment with the Food Standards Agency. If we’re to realise the full potential benefits of cultivated meat – from enhancing food security to supporting the expansion of regenerative farming – the government must invest in the research and infrastructure needed to make it delicious, affordable and accessible for people across the UK.”​

In other news, Mexican seafood trade body boss shot dead after criticising illegal fishing.​​