UK approves first cultivated meat product for sale in all of Europe

UK business Meatly has received regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat for pet food in the UK, making it the first in the world to get authorisation for cultivated pet food. This also makes it the first-ever cultivated meat company approved for sale in any European country.

The public announcement follows a close collaborative process between Meatly and the UK’s regulatory bodies, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The relevant UK Government departments have ensured that Meatly complies with all necessary regulations, and Meatly has now passed APHA’s rigorous inspection process. Meatly said it will continue to adhere to APHA’s ongoing inspections.

As a result of this process, Meatly’s cultivated chicken for pet food can now be sold in the UK.

Beyond the approvals needed, Meatly has proactively prepared a comprehensive safety dossier and conducted extensive testing to demonstrate that its cultivated chicken is safe and healthy for pets. Testing included demonstrating that their cultivated chicken is free from bacteria and viruses, that the nutrients used to grow the cells are safe, and that the final chicken product is safe, nutritious, and free from GMOs, antibiotics, harmful pathogens, heavy metals, and other impurities.

Meatly is a registered feed business operator, and its production facility has now been approved by DEFRA and APHA to produce and handle its cultivated chicken. Meatly plans to launch the first samples of its commercially available pet food this year, making it the first cultivated pet food sold. Beyond these initial samples, Meatly’s primary focus will remain on cost reduction, and it will start scaling production to reach industrial volumes in the next three years.

Regulatory approval follows several significant milestones that have placed Meatly at the forefront of the cultivated meat industry. It is leading a new wave of cultivated meat start-ups that are proving there is a low-capital and fast route to market. Backed by £3.5m in investment, Meatly has achieved regulatory approval in under two years of operation and developed a protein-free media which costs less than £1 a litre, significantly reducing production costs. Meatly has also secured brand partnerships and production of its products with leading pet food brands.

Commenting on the announcement, Owen Ensor, Meatly CEO said: “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.

“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.”

Jim Mellon, founder of Agronomics, an investor in Meatly, added: “Meatly’s regulatory approval is a landmark event for the industry. Through its technological innovation and close work with governing authorities, Meatly is helping prove that we can succeed in commercialising cultivated products for pets across the UK. Our pets consume huge amounts of meat every day and so this development can play a crucial part in reducing the emissions, resource consumption, and animal suffering caused by traditional meat production.”

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