In a groundbreaking move, British start-up Meatly announced it will begin selling lab-grown chicken to pet food producers this year, making the UK the first European country to commercialise cultivated meat. Meatly’s CEO and co-founder, Owen Ensor, confirmed this significant development by revealing that the company has received necessary approvals from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.
Ensor attributed part of Meatly’s success to the regulatory freedom of Brexit, which has allowed the UK to diverge from stringent EU regulations. This regulatory flexibility and the UK government’s recent focus on biotech and innovation enabled Meatly to secure approval for its cultivated meat products. Ensor told the Financial Times that it demonstrates the UK’s intention to lead in these new innovative fields and food technology.
Meatly is set to revolutionise the pet food industry with its lab-grown chicken. The company’s spokesperson highlighted that while the immediate focus is on pet food, the processes and products developed by Meatly are safe and healthy for human consumption. “We will likely license our industry-leading technology to human food companies,” the spokesperson said.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency has expressed support for this innovation. The agency’s deputy food policy director James Cooper welcomed using alternative materials like cell-cultivated products (CCP) in animal feed, provided they meet safety and legal requirements.
Meatly has raised £3.5 million ($4.6 million) from investors, including US venture capital firm Agronomics and UK pet-food retailer Pets at Home. The company aims to reach industrial-scale production within the next three years with these funds. Meatly also plans to expand into the US, Canadian, and EU markets, starting with pet food.
While the commercialisation of lab-grown meat marks a significant milestone, it is not without controversy. The US, Singapore, and Israel approve consuming cultivated meat, a product of animal cells grown in bioreactors. However, the EU has not yet decided on lab-grown meat, and countries such as Italy, France, and Austria have already announced bans on such products, even if they receive EU approval.
Critics of cultivated meat argue that its long-term health effects are unknown, that it could threaten traditional livestock farming, and that the energy required for production may cause more ecological damage than conventional animal farming.
Despite the opposition, proponents of lab-grown meat emphasise its potential to address some of the global food system’s critical challenges, including animal welfare concerns and the environmental impact of traditional meat production. As the world grapples with these issues, innovations like Meatly’s cultivated chicken offer a glimpse into a more sustainable and ethical future for food production.
With Meatly leading the charge in Europe, commercialising lab-grown meat for pet food is a significant step forward. As the company progresses, it could pave the way for broader acceptance and integration of cultivated meat into the global food supply chain, benefiting both pets and humans.
