Lab meat could be the next thing for pets

The lab-meat alternative

Meat and dairy account for an enormous 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, which is one reason so many more consumers around the world are turning to plant-based diets.

Chicago-based Because, Animals looks one step further than plant-based pet food. The company uses technology to create cell-grown meats in a laboratory with the goal of commercialising these products to sell to pet owners.

Growing edible meat

How does the process work? Scientists use extra cells from an animal, feed them the correct nutrients like amino acids, sugars and oxygen, and they grow. They do not grow into a calf or a goat kid, but they do grow into edible meat.

It sounds like science fiction, but it is not. “Cell-based meat will be here sooner than we think,” says Kara Nielsen, director, food and drink at WGSN, a trend forecasting company based in New York City, which lists lab-grown meats as a top trend for 2021. Nielsen explains that, along with scaling up processes and preparing for launch, it is the regulatory process that will be a significant hurdle in the commercialisation journey for cell-based meats. Nevertheless, she expects to see them available within three years.

Consumer acceptance

She is right that there will be significant hurdles. “Pet owners will take some time to accept cell-created meats as a safe, healthy and nutrient-dense alternative to meat,” says Dr Michelle Burch, DVM, at Safe Hounds Pet Insurance. In fact, a 2017 European study found acceptance of cell-created meat is low, due to the perceived lack of naturalness.

Shannon Falconer, the founder of Because, Animals, disagrees. “Meat is meat,” she says, but she is sticking to pet food and not making human meats for a couple of reasons: The first is perception. We humans are unlikely to want to eat meat produced by the same company making dinner for our four-legged friends; the second is that meat for humans has to look like meat; food for pets does not have to be pleasing to the eye.

Competitively priced

Nielsen expects cell-based pet food to be pricey to begin with. However, she points out, with the growing numbers of people who consider their pet a family member, there are already people paying a premium for pet food. “Chances are there will be an audience who will pay a premium for this.”

Falconer asserts her food will be competitive. “Our products need to be affordable. When we first launch our cultured meat products, they will be priced competitively with other premium pet food brands, such as Orijin, Open Farm and Honest Kitchen,” she says.

Because, Animals will start with a cat treat that has been developed from mouse cells and following that a cultured mouse cat food – whether wet or dry is still to be decided. Cultured wet or dry dog food made from rabbit cells will be the third launch. The advantage of using cells from mice and rabbits, Falconer says, is most commercial pet food uses chicken, beef, or fish, which are the main allergens for cats and dogs. In contrast, her cell-based meats will be “a protein source that is more appropriate for our pets.”

Moreover, she points out, cultured meat has the advantage that she can feed the mouse (or rabbit) cells certain nutrients and those cells will respond accordingly and produce those nutrients.

Is lab meat the future?

One concern of Dr Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS, head veterinarian at BreedAdvisor.com, based in Guernsey, United Kingdom, is that cell-based meat has unknowns. “We have no information about the long- term health consequences of eating artificial meat. One concern is that this rapidly-dividing tissue culture has a higher likelihood of becoming cancerous.”

Dr Burch is more bullish about cell-based meats. “I would feed my pets cell-based meat as long as the food was from a reputable company that has ensured feeding trials have been performed to ensure quality and nutrient profile. As our population grows and the need for a sustainable food source increases, I believe cell-based meats are the future.”