Cultivated meat supplier Meatly has released what it describes as a cultivated meat dog treat, becoming the first company to supply cultivated meat in the UK, albeit for pet food.
The ‘Chick Bites’ product, which was released in collaboration with plant-based dog food brand The Pack, combines plant-based ingredients with Meatly Chicken.
Meatly said it plans to raise additional funds to expand production and make Meatly Chicken more broadly available in the next three to five years, with further collaborations planned with The Pack and Pets at Home.
Pets at Home - one of the largest investors in Meatly - is the first retailer to sell pet food made from cultivated meat globally.
Meatly said that to produce its Meatly Chicken, a single sample of cells was taken from one chicken egg, from which “enough cultivated meat can be produced to feed pets forever”. The supplier claimed that Meatly Chicken was “just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast” and said that it contained “all the essential amino acids, critical fatty acids, minerals and vitamins needed for pet health”.
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”.
“For us this is a continuation of our work in developing high-quality alternative protein products for all dog lovers.”
Damien Clarkson, The Pack
Owen Ensor, founding CEO of Meatly, said: “We’re incredibly excited to introduce cultivated meat to the pet world.
“Just two years ago this felt like a moon shot. Today we take off. It’s a giant leap forward - toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals. We’re proud to work alongside fellow pioneers Pets at Home and The Pack.
“And we’re just getting started. Next we’ll scale our production and make products more widely available to consumers.”
As part of the approval process, Meatly collaborated with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Meatly said the relevant Government departments “ensured that Meatly complies with all necessary regulations”, and it would continue to adhere to APHA’s ongoing inspections.
