Lab-Grown Meat for Pets? UK Leads Europe with Groundbreaking Approval!

The UK is set to become the first European country to commercialize lab-grown meat for pet food, following regulatory approval for cultivated chicken made from animal cells. UK start-up Meatly will begin selling its lab-grown chicken to pet food manufacturers later this year.

Meatly's CEO and co-founder, Owen Ensor, attributed the swift approval to Brexit and the UK government’s focus on biotech and innovation. "This approval positions the UK as a leader in food technology," Ensor said, highlighting the country's openness to new, innovative fields.

Regulatory approval was granted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This makes the UK the first in Europe to approve such products, while countries like Israel, Singapore, and the US have already approved lab-grown meat for human consumption.

Ensor pointed out that the EU's regulatory processes are typically longer and more complex, making it quicker to get approval for pet consumption in the UK. James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the Food Standards Agency, welcomed the innovation, stressing the importance of safety and compliance with laws for new products entering the market.

Pet food is seen as the natural starting point for the cultivated meat market due to the "animal lover’s paradox," where pet owners opposed to animal cruelty are more open to feeding their pets lab-grown meat. A University of Winchester study found that 50% of pet owners would feed their pets cultivated meat, and 32% would consider eating it themselves.

Despite advances, cell-cultivated meat faces strong opposition in countries like Italy, France, and Austria, and bans in US states such as Florida and Alabama. Critics argue that the technology threatens traditional livestock farming.

Meatly has raised £3.5 million and aims to reach industrial volumes within three years, with plans to raise an additional £5 million in its next funding round. The company’s prominent investors include Agronomics and Jim Mellon, with former Conservative food tsar Henry Dimbleby on its board.