LONDON — On July 17, cultivated meat company Meatly shared it has received regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat for use in pet food in the United Kingdom, making it the “first in the world” to receive authorization for cultivated pet food, according to the company. Additionally, the approval also makes Meatly the first-ever cultivated meat company approved for sale in any European country, according to Meatly. 

To receive approval, Meatly closely collaborated with many of the United Kingdom’s regulatory bodies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). These regulatory bodies ensured that Meatly and its cultivated meat comply with all needed regulations. Additionally, Meatly has recently passed the APHA’s inspection process, and the company plans to continue to adhere to ongoing inspections. 

The regulatory approval means that Meatly’s cultivated chicken for pet food can now be sold in the United Kingdom. 

“Today marks a significant milestone for the European cultivated meat industry,” said Owen Ensor, chief executive officer of Meatly. “I’m incredibly proud that Meatly is the first company in Europe to get the green light to sell cultivated meat. We are proving that there is a safe and low-capital way to rapidly bring cultivated meat to market.”

In addition to meeting UK regulations, Meatly has also prepared a safety dossier and conducted extensive testing to ensure that its cultivated chicken is safe and healthy for pets. According to the company, the testing demonstrates that its cultivated chicken is free from bacteria and viruses, that the nutrients used to grow the ingredient are safe, and that the final chicken ingredient is safe, nutritious, and free from GMOs, antibiotics, harmful pathogens, heavy metals and other impurities. 

Following UK regulatory approval, Meatly will launch the first samples of commercially available pet food this year. 

| Source: Meatly

“We’re delighted to have worked proactively alongside the UK’s regulators to showcase that Meatly chicken is safe and healthy for pets,” Ensor added. “Pet parents are crying out for a better way to feed their cats and dogs meat — we’re so excited to meet this demand. We can now continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice — ensuring we can feed our beloved pets the real meat they need and crave, in a way that is kinder to our planet and other animals.”

Meatly is currently a registered feed business operator in the United Kingdom and its production facility has also received approval from the DEFRA and the APHA, enabling it to produce and handle cultivated chicken. 

This regulatory approval follows extensive cultivated meat advancements by the company. In March, the company announced a partnership with sustainable pet food company Omni, creating a cultivated wet cat food product. Then in May, the company was able to decrease production costs of its cultivated meat to £1 ($1.25 USD) per liter. 

Following this approval, the company plans to launch the first samples of its commercially available pet food this year, making it the first cultivated pet food sold, according to Meatly. Additionally, the company plans to focus on lowering its production costs and scaling its production to reach industrial volumes during the next three years. 

“Meatly’s regulatory approval is a landmark event for the industry,” said Jim Mellon, founder of Agronomics, an investor in Meatly. “Through its technological innovation and close work with governing authorities, Meatly is helping prove that we can succeed in commercializing cultivated products for pets across the United Kingdom. Our pets consume huge amounts of meat every day and so this development can play a crucial part in reducing the emissions, resource consumption and animal suffering caused by traditional meat production.”

Read more about the latest advancements in cultivated meat in pet nutrition.