UK grants first European approval for lab-grown pet food
The United Kingdom has made history by becoming the first European nation to approve lab-grown meat for pet food. The Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have given regulatory approval to London-based startup Meatly. This innovative product from Meatly is cultivated from chicken cells, marking a significant step forward in sustainable pet food production.
Meatly's lab-grown pet food: A closer look
Meatly's lab-grown pet food is produced through a unique process. It begins with a small sample from a chicken egg, which is then cultivated with vitamins and amino acids in a laboratory setting. The cells are grown in containers similar to those used for beer fermentation, resulting in a pate-like paste. The UK government has approved Meatly's production facility to handle this cultivated chicken product.
Meatly's future plans and funding
Meatly has ambitious plans for the near future. The company aims to launch commercial samples of its lab-grown pet food product this year. Over the next three years, Meatly intends to focus on cost reduction and scaling production to industrial volumes. To date, the startup has raised £ 3.5m (₹37 crores approximately) from investors and anticipates raising an additional £ 5m (₹54 crores approximately) in its next fundraising round.
Lab-grown meat: A solution to climate impact
The approval of lab-grown meat is seen as a significant milestone in mitigating the environmental impacts of intensive animal agriculture. Research indicates that the pet food industry's climate impact is comparable to that of the Philippines, the world's 13th most populous country. A study by the University of Winchester revealed that half of surveyed pet owners would feed their pets cultivated meat, while 32% would consume it themselves.
UK's leadership in cultivated meat industry
Linus Pardoe, the UK policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, underscored that the UK's advancement in cultivated meat makes it a global leader. He highlighted the significance of approving cultivated pet food as a pivotal achievement. Pardoe stressed the necessity for government investment in research and infrastructure aimed at ensuring that cultivated meat becomes both delicious and affordable to people across the UK.
