UK becomes the first European nation to approve cultivated meat, starting with Meatly’s lab-grown chicken for pet food.
The UK government has approved the sale of lab-grown meat, beginning with pet food, making it the first European country to do so. The product, developed by the company Meatly, has been given the green light by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as of July 24, 2024. This move is set to transform the pet food industry, offering a sustainable and ethical alternative to meat sourced from slaughtered animals.
Meatly’s cultivated chicken is made using a cutting-edge process that involves taking a small sample of cells from a chicken egg, then growing those cells in a lab. The cells are fed with essential nutrients, such as vitamins and amino acids, in a controlled environment similar to the fermentation process used in beer production. The result is a paté-like paste, which will be used as the base for pet food.
This innovation could be a game-changer for environmentally conscious pet owners, as research suggests the pet food industry has a climate impact comparable to that of the Philippines, a country with over 100 million people. A study conducted by the University of Winchester found that half of the surveyed pet owners would be willing to feed their pets lab-grown meat, while 32% of respondents indicated they would try it themselves.
The growing demand for sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives has led to the rapid development of lab-grown meat technologies. For pet owners who struggle with the ethical dilemma of feeding their pets meat derived from traditional animal farming, cultivated meat offers a viable solution. This approval is a significant step towards reducing the environmental impact of the pet food industry, while also addressing concerns about animal welfare.
Meatly’s facility has been officially approved to produce cultivated chicken, and the company plans to launch its first commercial pet food samples later this year. The company is also working on reducing costs and scaling production to meet industrial demands within the next three years. One strategy to lower costs involves blending the cultivated meat with vegetables, similar to how premium pet foods mix animal products with plant-based ingredients.
Although this initial approval is for pet food, the UK government is exploring the potential for cultivated meat for human consumption. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently assessing applications for lab-grown meat products designed for humans. Fast-tracking the approval process for human consumption has been a topic of discussion, especially following the UK’s exit from the European Union. Advocates see it as a potential “Brexit benefit,” allowing for quicker regulatory decisions.
However, not everyone is on board. In the United States, several states, including Florida and Alabama, have outright banned the sale of lab-grown meat, citing concerns from livestock farmers who feel threatened by the new technology. Despite this, lab-grown meat has already been approved for human consumption in countries like Singapore and Israel, leading the way in this revolutionary food technology.
Meatly has already raised £3.5 million in funding and is looking to secure an additional £5 million in its next round of investment. With plans to scale production and improve cost efficiency, the company is positioning itself to be a leader in the cultivated meat space. Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, praised the approval as an important milestone, emphasizing that the technology could help reduce the negative impacts of intensive animal farming, improve food security, and promote regenerative agriculture.
The UK’s approval of lab-grown pet food marks a pivotal moment in the transition towards more sustainable food systems. As the country leads Europe in this innovation, cultivated meat is expected to become more commonplace, potentially extending beyond pet food to human consumption. Meatly’s breakthrough sets the stage for further advancements, and with government support for research and infrastructure, lab-grown meat may soon become a standard feature of the UK’s food industry.