The UK is set to become the first country in Europe to commercialise ‘lab-grown’ meat after British firm Meatly received regulatory clearance to sell its cultivated product for pet food.
The announcement follows a collaborative process between Meatly and the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to ensure it complied with all necessary regulations.
Meatly has now passed the inspection process, and it will begin selling its cultivated chicken to pet food manufacturers as early as this year.
Owen Ensor, the CEO of Meatly CEO, commented: “Today marks a significant milestone for the European cultivated meat industry. 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.”
He added: “We’re delighted to have worked proactively alongside the UK’s regulators to showcase that Meatly chicken is safe and healthy for pets. 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.”
