Meatly, a British startup specializing in cultivated meat for pets, anticipates securing regulatory approval to commence the sale of its cat food within the next three months. Should this forecast materialize, Meatly would mark a significant milestone as the inaugural company within its sector to enter the UK market.
According to reports from the Times, Meatly is gearing up to introduce its inaugural cultivated meat product, tinned chicken for cats, later this year. The company projects receiving the green light from the UK’s regulatory authorities within the specified timeframe.
Earlier this month, Meatly successfully concluded the initial production run of its canned pet food. This innovative offering blends cultivated chicken with pulses and vegetables sourced from OMNI, a vegan dog food company. Describing the product as a chicken pâté, Meatly’s founder and CEO, Owen Ensor, expressed pride in the achievement.
The process behind Meatly’s cultivated chicken involves extracting a single sample of cells from a chicken egg, distinguishing it as a pioneering approach. Formerly recognized as Good Dog Food, the company underwent a rebranding initiative late last year, signaling its expansion beyond dog food to cater to the feline market as well.
This announcement coincides with the release of plans by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to expedite the entry of novel foods like cultivated meat into the market. Criticism has been directed at the FSA and the UK government for the sluggish pace in leveraging post-Brexit autonomy in this domain, with companies currently facing an approximate two-and-a-half-year wait for resolution on their applications.
Rebecca Sudworth, policy director at the FSA, emphasized the agency’s commitment to prioritizing safety while streamlining regulatory processes. Sudworth outlined the opportunity for the UK to establish a more efficient regulatory framework independent of EU oversight.
Meatly faces competition from several other companies producing cultivated meat for pets, including BioCraft Pet Nutrition from Austria, Marina Cat from the US, Wild Earth from California, and Bene Meat from the Czech Republic. Despite this, Meatly aims to secure its position as the leading provider of cultivated meat in Europe, particularly in the UK market.
While regulatory approval for cultivated meat intended for human consumption in the UK is anticipated to require at least two years, Sudworth emphasized the necessity of meticulous risk assessment for novel food products. Proposed reforms by the FSA aim to expedite the process by leveraging approvals from reputable food safety bodies in other jurisdictions.
The FSA’s plans include establishing a network of internal collaborators to facilitate efficient decision-making regarding food safety. Additionally, proposed reforms seek to eliminate the requirement for product reapplications every ten years and reduce bureaucratic hurdles associated with regulatory clearance.
In pursuit of advancing safety testing for cultivated meat, the FSA recently announced its bid for government funding to establish testing labs. Collaborations with food companies and a call for scientists to participate in a ‘sandbox’ testing project signify proactive steps toward ensuring the safety of novel protein sources for human consumption.
Amid these developments, Meatly remains optimistic about the prospect of introducing its cultivated meat products to consumers in the near future. Ensor expressed confidence in Meatly’s readiness to bring its offerings to market, anticipating a successful rollout within the year.
