Lab-grown meat pet food venture launched

A novel range of dog food made using cultivated meat is being developed by a new joint venture.

Edinburgh-based food biotechnology company Roslin Technologies and cellular agriculture investor Agronomics have teamed up to develop a pet food range using meat grown from cells without the need to raise and slaughter animals.

Good Dog Food, the exclusive venture between the two companies, believes that many pet owners are looking for more sustainable alternatives and will focus on the development, registration and product launch of cultivated meat pet food products.

The technology is said to have the potential of a “significantly lower” environmental impact, with the companies describing lab-grown meat as a “healthy, ethical and sustainable” source of meat for pet food.

Roslin Technologies, partially owned by the University of Edinburgh, has preferential rights to IP from the Roslin Institute, famous for Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned adult mammal.

Good Dog Food Chairman Jim Mellon said: “An untapped secto of the agricultural market is the production of pet food via cellular agriculture.

“As a dog owner, I have been looking for high-quality meat alternatives to provide to my dogs.”