Cultured meat for pets is on sale in the UK

After approval by the Food Standards Agency, the first samples are already in British stores:Industrial scale production is expected within 3 years.

• The United Kingdom is the first European country to approve the use of cultured meat for pets.
• The chicken meat produced in the laboratory by the Meatly company has received approval from the British Food Standards Agency.
• Since the start of the year, 1.2 billion packs of dog food have already been purchased in the UK.

The United Kingdom has taken an important step by becoming the first country on the European continent to approve the use ofcultured meat for pets, produced in the laboratory:specifically, it is chicken meat grown from animal cells, developed by the British company Meatly, which has received authorization to sell its "meat" to pet food producers.

Meatly announced that the first samples of their cultured chicken will be available on the market later this year.However, industrial-scale production is expected within the next three years.At the moment, no implications are foreseen for the placing on the market of cell cultures intended for human consumption.

Cultured chicken meat, the beginning of a turning point?

There Food standards agency (Fsa) The UK's national food safety agency has given the green light to cultured chicken meat and said it will closely monitor any new products placed on the market.Lab-grown meat is a controversial topic in several countries:supporters highlight its benefits for the environment and animal welfare, while detractors highlight the high costs and potential negative impacts on traditional farmers.

While the debate was growing in Italy too, with the introduction of a national ban on the production and distribution of in vitro meat, global investments in the cultured meat and seafood sector are drastically decreased in 2023, falling to less than a third compared to the previous year, according to a report by the Good Food Institute.

It is true that, while consumer interest in cultured meat intended for pets remains uncertain, so far only in 2024 have they been purchased 1.2 billion packs of dog food, cats and other pets in British supermarkets.Owen Ensor, CEO of Meatly, said his company is demonstrating how meat, and for now cultured chicken, can be brought to market safely and affordably.

“Pet owners are clamoring for a better way to feed their dogs and cats meat:we are very excited to meet this demand,” Ensor said, adding that the new product will allow pet owners to offer “the real meat they need and want, in a way that is more respectful of our planet and other animals ”.

Even the association Uk Pet Food is happy with the breakthrough of cultured meat: Sarah Hormozi, head of science and education, explained to the BBC that cultured meat, insects and other new proteins are “timely and welcome” as “demand for food proteins continues to grow, along with increasing pressure on environmental resources ”.

Meat grown in other countries

Lab-grown meat has already gained approval for human consumption in some countries, including Singapore, United States and Israel.However, public debate on this topic varies greatly.In the United States, for example, the issue is particularly divisive, with Florida governor Ron DeSantis banning cultured meat products, claiming it will protect “our meat” from the “global elite.”In the UK, the debate has so far been more subdued and approval is limited to pet food.Meatly has conducted extensive testing on its product, proving that the cultured chicken is free of bacteria and viruses, and that the nutrients used are safe.The final product was found to be safe, nutritious and free from genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, harmful germs, heavy metals and other impurities.