Meatly launches world’s first cultivated pet food
Meatly has become the first company in the world to supply meat grown in a lab for pet food on sale.
The Chick Bites, which have been produced in collaboration with plant-based dog food brand The Pack, combine plant-based ingredients with Meatly Chicken to provide a nutritious, healthy and sustainable alternative to traditional dog treats.
To produce 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”.
Meatly Chicken “contains all the essential amino acids, critical fatty acids, minerals and vitamins needed” for pet health.
Pets at Home – one of the largest investors in Meatly – has become the first retailer to sell pet food made from cultivated meat globally, as it is now on sale at the retailer’s store in Brentford, West London.
Meatly plans to raise additional funds to expand production and make Meatly Chicken more broadly available in the next 3-5 years, with further collaborations planned with The Pack and Pets at Home.
Owen Ensor, Founding Chief Executive of Meatly, said: “It’s a giant leap forward – toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals.”
He added: “We’re just getting started. Next we’ll scale our production and make products more widely available to consumers.”
Anja Madsen, Chief Operating Officer at Pets at Home, said: “At Pets at Home, we’re guided by our purpose to create a better world for pets and the people who love them, and that includes looking after our planet.
“We’re also always looking to the future of pet care, and to make sure we’re developing and providing the products that matter to our customers. This mindset is best demonstrated by our investment in Meatly.”
Damien Clarkson, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of The Pack, added: “The launch of our Chick Bites treats is a watershed moment for the pet food industry. Cultivated meat offers a tasty, low-carbon, and healthy protein source, which has the potential to eliminate farmed animals from the pet food industry.”
