Czech start-up Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) has obtained certification from the European Feed Materials Register to develop cell-based meat for cats and dogs. The company claims to be the only entity in the world that can produce and sell this product for the pet food market.
Given cultured meat’s cultured meat attributes, pet food will be full of pure, high-quality animal protein without the need for any animal to die in its production.
Owners and manufacturers will no longer have to compromise on taste, nutrition or even on the quality of feed. The certification for the production and sale of cultured meat is a milestone for the pet food industry and animal owners.
The Prague-based start-up has been working on the development and technology of cultured meat production since 2020 with an 80-member international team of scientists.
Since its foundation, it has had a single investor — the BTL group, which is engaged in the field of medical devices.
“We’re excited to have achieved certification of new raw material from the European Feed Materials Register, binding for the entire EU; this first is the beginning of our journey to include the production and sale of other forms of cultured meat,” says Roman Kříž, managing director of Bene Meat Technologies.
“We know that at this stage of the research, we have already met the needs of pet food producers, who are constantly looking for ethically and economically meaningful ways to satisfy their demanding customers, pet owners, with their products. We are excited that for the first time in history, we are offering a quality meat alternative without killing animals and at a competitive price,” he adds.
Benefits of cultured meat
The main advantages lie in the products’ health, the quality of the raw materials, and solving the ethical problem of where the animal protein contained in pet food comes from.
The product (CM) is produced in a laboratory in bioreactors, obtained non-violently by extracting cells from a living animal and cultivating them in a nutrient-rich medium.
The cells “grow,” and the cultured meat is then textured and formed into the desired shape.
Significantly for the market, BMT has developed the technology to produce cultured meat so that the resulting price is competitive compared to the prices of products made from traditionally sourced raw materials.
Competitive advantage
Manufacturers of cultured meat feeds will appreciate the controllable production, the purity of the final product, and the possibility to use it for any type of final product.
BMT technology can adapt to any manufacturer’s requirements for the resulting type of feed. It’s unique in that it solves all aspects of production and the resulting price — it offers a raw material that can be fully used in production, comprehensively in terms of quality, affordable price and required quantity.
“Thanks to the obtained certification, nothing prevents us from taking further steps; we’re negotiating with feed manufacturers to get this wonderful product into production,” Tomáš Kubeš, head of strategic projects, explains.
Additionally, due to the purity of the manufactured animal protein in cultured meat, there is a reasonable assumption that cats and dogs will benefit more than from foods made from traditional live animal ingredients.
Future development
Certification to produce and sell cultured meat gives hope for a near future where pet owners can give their pets the best food, notes the company.
“Ethical principles have always been why BMT started developing cultured meat technology. Manufacturers have a unique chance to gain an unprecedented competitive advantage in the market, thanks to the existence of our product,” adds Kříž.
When pet food containing cultured meat appears on the market, it depends on the agreements with the manufacturers. Sample products will be available as early as 2024, and pet products can realistically be expected in stores in the same year.
Third-party support
The activist community appreciates the certification of cultured meat for the pet food industry.
“It is hugely welcome to see the advent of a new kind of meat from stem cells grown in a bioreactor being offered as a much more sustainable alternative,” says Philip Lymbery, Global chief executive of Compassion in World Farming International (CIWF).
They aim to reform the food and farming system and establish more humane, fair and sustainable conditions in the animal agriculture industry.
“It is good news to see cultivated meat produced without harming any animals entering the marketplace.”
The cell-based meat race
Cultured meat and its processes have been gripping the F&B industry with a myriad of innovations in the past months.
Earlier this month, it is reported that the cell-based meat industry could be entering a period of consolidation amid inflationary pressures in the macroeconomic environment.
It is often reported that cell-based agriculture has substantial potential as an alternative to traditional agriculture.
Steakholder Foods recently filed a provisional patent application for its novel technology, an “Immortal Bovine Cell Line.” The development is slated to enable mass production of ethically-cultured meat products and pave the way for mass commercialization, helping food innovators overcome scalability challenges and reduce the ecological impact of animal agriculture while improving nutritional options.
