Czech company Bene Meat Technologies gains approval to produce cultivated meat for pet food consumption

Bene Meat Technologies, a Czech-based company, has achieved a significant breakthrough in lab-grown meat by obtaining approval from the European Union to produce cultivated meat for pet food consumption. This milestone positions the company as a pioneer in the industry, allowing it to concentrate on producing meat for cats and dogs within the global pet food market.

With the aim of substantially increasing production, Bene Meat plans to scale up operations to potentially yield several metric tons per day by the following year.

The foray into lab-grown meat for pet food aligns with a global trend where various companies are racing to develop commercially viable alternatives to traditional meat and fish products. This surge in innovation is largely driven by consumer concerns about ethical issues and the environmental impact associated with conventional livestock farming, a sector that significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Roman Kriz, the Managing Director of Bene Meat, informed Reuters, “Today we have become the first company globally that has an official authorization for the production and sale of cultivated meat for cats and dogs.” This certification, obtained through the European Feed Materials Register, signifies a crucial step forward for the firm in entering the pet food market with its cultivated meat product.

Kriz outlined the company’s aspirations to not only meet the necessary regulatory standards but also to provide a commercially viable product in terms of pricing. He emphasized that Bene Meat’s costs would enable the final products to be competitively priced, aligning with the levels seen in premium and super-premium pet food products available in the market.

Bene Meat’s strategic plans involve not only scaling up production but also conducting taste tests on animals to ensure palatability and suitability for consumption. The current production scale, estimated in kilograms per day, is expected to grow significantly in the coming year, with projections reaching hundreds of kilograms to potentially several tonnes produced daily. These developments signify a considerable leap forward for the company since its establishment in 2020, owned by the Czech medical devices producer BTL group.

While focusing on pet food, the company has not abandoned its initial goal of providing lab-grown meat for human consumption. Kriz stated that Bene Meat, like other players in the industry, uses cells from live animals, which are cultivated in a bioreactor sustained by a nutrient supply. This method not only addresses ethical and environmental concerns but also ensures a controlled and monitored production process, offering a level of assurance often absent in conventional livestock farming.