British cultivated meat supplier Meatly has unveiled the world’s first commercially available lab-grown dog treats, after completing feeding trials for its Meatly Chicken in November.
A limited run of Chick Bites, produced in collaboration with plant-based dogfood brand The Pack, go on sale at Pets at Home in Brentford, London on Friday (7 February, rsp: £3.49/50g).
It is the first time lab-grown meat has gone on sale in the UK or EU in any food category.
The new product combines plant-based ingredients with Meatly chicken “to provide a nutritious, healthy and sustainable alternative to traditional dog treats”, Meatly said.
Pets would be able to enjoy “the same great-tasting meat they crave, but in a way which is kinder for animals and better for the planet”, it added.
Meatly plans to raise additional funds to expand production and make Meatly Chicken more broadly available in the next three to five years. Further collaborations are planned with both The Pack and Pets at Home – which is a key investor in the cultivated meat business.
To produce Meatly Chicken a single sample of cells was taken from one chicken egg, “from which enough cultivated meat can be produced to feed pets forever”.
It was “just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast, containing all the essential amino acids, critical fatty acids, minerals and vitamins needed for pet health”, the business said.
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce cultivated meat to the pet world,” said Meatly founding CEO Owen Ensor, who described the launch as a “momentous endeavour” – particularly as the business had raised just 1% of the total European funds for cultivated meat investment.
“Just two years ago this felt like a moon shot. Today we take off. It’s a giant leap forward – toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals,” he added.
“This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of pet food and will be a game-changer for the industry,” said Pets at Home chief operating officer Anja Madsen.
The launch marked a “watershed moment” for the petfood sector, said The Packed CEO and founder Damien Clarkson. “Cultivated meat offers a tasty, low-carbon, and healthy protein source, which has the potential to eliminate farmed animals from the pet food industry.”
Meatly received regulatory authorisation in July 2024 after review from the FSA, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
The sale of cultivated meat to humans in the UK remains subject to regulatory approval.
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