Cultivated meat has made a significant breakthrough in Europe, but its initial application will be quite niche: it’s first approved for pet food. London-based startup Meatly has received regulatory approval to sell lab-grown chicken specifically designed for pets, marking a milestone as the UK becomes the first European country to commercialize this type of meat.
Meatly’s cultivated chicken is expected to serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional dog food. By focusing on pet food, Meatly aims to address both environmental concerns and market entry challenges.
The company’s CEO, Owen Ensor, emphasized that this development could represent a shift towards a more sustainable model of meat production, highlighting the benefits of lab-grown meat over conventional methods.
The process behind Meatly’s pet food involves extracting cells from a single chicken egg, which are then cultivated in controlled environments. These cells are nurtured with the right nutrients to grow and eventually transformed into pet food.
This method promises a more eco-friendly approach compared to traditional meat production, which is resource-intensive and contributes significantly to carbon emissions.
While various European startups have also ventured into cultivated meat, they primarily target human consumption. Meatly’s decision to focus on pets is driven by the need for a less regulated entry point into the market and the considerable impact of pet food consumption on global meat demand.
Pets are estimated to consume around 20% of the world’s meat and fish, making this a significant market for alternative protein sources.
As Meatly prepares to launch its pet food products later this year, it faces challenges related to scaling production and managing costs.
Despite these hurdles, Ensor remains optimistic about the future of cultivated meat, envisioning broader applications beyond pet food. The success of Meatly’s initiative could pave the way for more widespread use of lab-grown meat in various sectors.
