Latest news with #ChickBites
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lab-grown food could be sold in the UK within two years
Lab-grown food could be sold in the UK within two years, a watchdog has indicated. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was committed to completing the full safety assessment of two cell-cultivated products (CCPs) within the next two years. The watchdog has launched a 'pioneering' regulatory programme for CCPs to make sure they are safe for consumers before they are sold, funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology's Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund. CCPs are new food products made without traditional farming methods such as rearing livestock or growing plants and grains. Instead, cells from plants or animals are grown in a controlled environment to make the product. There are currently no CCPs approved for human consumption in the UK. FSA chief scientific adviser Professor Robin May said: 'Safe innovation is at the heart of this programme. 'By prioritising consumer safety and making sure new foods, like CCPs, are safe we can support growth in innovative sectors. 'Our aim is to ultimately provide consumers with a wider choice of new food, while maintaining the highest safety standards.' A team of scientists and regulatory experts will work with academic bodies, the CCP industry and trade organisations on the two-year programme. Science minister Lord Vallance said: 'By supporting the safe development of cell-cultivated products, we're giving businesses the confidence to innovate and accelerating the UK's position as a global leader in sustainable food production. 'This work will not only help bring new products to market faster, but strengthen consumer trust, supporting our Plan for Change and creating new economic opportunities across the country.' The businesses participating in the programme are Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies and Uncommon Bio, all from the UK, BlueNalu (US), Mosa Meat (the Netherlands), Gourmey and Vital Meat (France) and Vow (Australia). Hoxton Farms was launched in 2020 by Ed Steele and Max Jamilly, and has been pioneering technology to grow animal fat products that 'look, cook and taste like the real thing'. Roslin Technologies was launched two years later as a biotech company to produce lab-grown pet food. In February, a dog treat made from cultivated meat went on sale at Pets at Home in a move the retailer claimed was a world first. In July last year, the UK became the first country in Europe to back cultivated meat for use in pet food, after chicken produced by the firm Meatly was approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The treat, called Chick Bites, is made from plant-based ingredients combined with cultivated meat, which is produced by growing cells and does not require the raising or slaughter of animals. Meatly said the chicken was produced from a single sample of cells taken from one chicken egg, from which enough cultivated meat could be produced to feed pets 'forever'.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Lab-grown food could be sold in the UK within two years
Lab-grown food could be sold in the UK within two years, a watchdog has indicated. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was committed to completing the full safety assessment of two cell-cultivated products (CCPs) within the next two years. The watchdog has launched a 'pioneering' regulatory programme for CCPs to make sure they are safe for consumers before they are sold, funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology's Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund. CCPs are new food products made without traditional farming methods such as rearing livestock or growing plants and grains. Instead, cells from plants or animals are grown in a controlled environment to make the product. There are currently no CCPs approved for human consumption in the UK. FSA chief scientific adviser Professor Robin May said: 'Safe innovation is at the heart of this programme. 'By prioritising consumer safety and making sure new foods, like CCPs, are safe we can support growth in innovative sectors. 'Our aim is to ultimately provide consumers with a wider choice of new food, while maintaining the highest safety standards.' A team of scientists and regulatory experts will work with academic bodies, the CCP industry and trade organisations on the two-year programme. Science minister Lord Vallance said: 'By supporting the safe development of cell-cultivated products, we're giving businesses the confidence to innovate and accelerating the UK's position as a global leader in sustainable food production. 'This work will not only help bring new products to market faster, but strengthen consumer trust, supporting our Plan for Change and creating new economic opportunities across the country.' The businesses participating in the programme are Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies and Uncommon Bio, all from the UK, BlueNalu (US), Mosa Meat (the Netherlands), Gourmey and Vital Meat (France) and Vow (Australia). Hoxton Farms was launched in 2020 by Ed Steele and Max Jamilly, and has been pioneering technology to grow animal fat products that 'look, cook and taste like the real thing'. Roslin Technologies was launched two years later as a biotech company to produce lab-grown pet food. In February, a dog treat made from cultivated meat went on sale at Pets at Home in a move the retailer claimed was a world first. In July last year, the UK became the first country in Europe to back cultivated meat for use in pet food, after chicken produced by the firm Meatly was approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The treat, called Chick Bites, is made from plant-based ingredients combined with cultivated meat, which is produced by growing cells and does not require the raising or slaughter of animals. Meatly said the chicken was produced from a single sample of cells taken from one chicken egg, from which enough cultivated meat could be produced to feed pets 'forever'.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Pet Food Made From 'Lab-Grown Meat' Is Now Available and People Have Opinions
Today, there are more options than ever for vegans (or people who want to eat less meat) to enjoy foods like burgers and chicken nuggets without actually eating real meat. There are so many different types of protein that can be used to reproduce similar textures and flavors, and it's making it a lot easier to avoid meat for those who choose to. On the heels of vegan meat like Impossible Burgers are developments in lab-grown meat, which basically is the real thing, only it's made with the help of science, not animals. It's not widely available quite yet — at least, not for humans. Because now, it's official: The first lab-grown pet food has hit the market. On Wednesday, February 12, news station WDRB News shared a report on YouTube that is raising a lot of questions. According to the outlet, the world's first lab-grown meat for pets is now for sale in the United Kingdom. The food in question is actually a new treat called Chick Bites, and it contains 4% chicken meat that was made in a lab by a company called Meatly. As the news anchors explained, it's made by sampling animal cells and culturing them "with water and nutrients." Judging by some responses to the news on social media, not everybody is on board with the idea. One person tweeted, "I'd not eat it, so I'd certainly never expect my dog to. What's wrong with natural food, you know, actual real chicken that we've eaten for thousands of years." Others are celebrating the development. One person wrote, "As long as the lab stuff is healthy I don't see a problem; it would cause less suffering for farm animals." Owen Ensor, the founder of Meatly, told CNN that pets are actually the highest consumers of meat, not humans. "Our intention was always to do cultivated meat for pet food," he said. "We recognized that there was a huge burning need in the pet world, with 20% of meat globally being eaten by our pets." It seems like dogs appear to be fans of the new meat. Ensor said that in product testing, many of the dogs "preferred it to their baseline diet," which is really saying something! So far, the new treats are only available in the UK, but if they're a success, it wouldn't be too surprising if they made their way to the United States soon. It will certainly be interesting to see what even more dogs think of it when they get their paws on these snacks!🐶🐾🐾
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What is cultivated meat? 'World first' dog treat made from lab-grown meat hits UK shelves
Pets at Home has launched a dog treat which the firm says is a first for the globe. Chick Bites, manufactured by Meatly, are made from plant-based ingredients combined with cultivated meat. According to Meatly, the meat is 'just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast' and has all the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids required for a healthy pet. A limited release of Chick Bites, sold under the plant-based dog food brand The Pack, will be available at a branch of Pets at Home in Brentford, London from Friday. But what exactly is cultivated meat and how is it made? Cultivated meat is meat that is generated in a laboratory using animal cells as opposed to being obtained by rearing and slaughtering animals. It is also known by other names including lab-grown, cultured, cell-based or clean meat. Meatly has revealed Chick Bites are made from a single sample of cells extracted from a single chicken egg, from which enough cultured meat could be made to feed pets 'forever'. Following the approval of Meatly's 'chicken' by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in July, the UK became the first nation in Europe to support the use of cultivated meat in pet food. Pets at Home also claimed to be the first business in the world to market cultivated meat for use in pet food. In the next three to five years, Meatly plans to raise money to increase production and make its chicken more widely available. Additional partnerships with The Pack, which supplied the plant-based ingredients, and Pets at Home are also planned. Meatly's founding CEO, Owen Ensor, stated in a statement: 'Just two years ago this felt like a moon shot. Today we take off. It's a giant leap forward, toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals.' Meatly faces competition from others eager to take advantage of pet owners' desire for more environmentally friendly ingredients. BioCraft, an Austrian-American start-up, has been creating cultured mouse meat for cats and dogs. The process's high cost and complexity have contributed to these businesses' difficulties by delaying the release of their goods. BioCraft stated in May 2024 that it had successfully reduced expenses and intended to launch its pet food by the beginning of 2026. In the meantime, US company Hill's Pet Nutrition announced in February 2024 that it had been working with Bond Pet Foods to 'formulate test products'.
The Guardian
06-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dog treat made from lab-grown meat on sale in UK as retailer claims a ‘world first'
A dog treat made from lab-grown meat has gone on sale at Pets at Home in a move the retailer claims is a world first. Chick Bites are made from plant-based ingredients combined with cultivated meat, which is produced by growing cells and does not require the raising or slaughter of animals. The manufacturer, Meatly, said the chicken was produced from a single sample of cells taken from one chicken egg, from which enough cultivated meat could be produced to feed pets 'for ever'. It claims the meat is 'just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast', and contains the amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins needed for pet health. In July, the UK became the first country in Europe to back cultivated meat for use in pet food, after chicken produced by Meatly was approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Pets at Home said it believed it was the first company in the world to sell cultivated meat for pet food. A limited release of Chick Bites has gone on sale at Pets at Home in Brentford, west London. The retailer, which has invested in Meatly, said the snack was a nutritious, healthy and sustainable alternative to traditional dog treats. Meatly said it planned to raise funds to expand production and make its chicken more broadly available in the next three to five years, with further collaborations planned with The Pack, which provided the plant-based ingredients, and Pets at Home. Meatly's founding chief executive, Owen Ensor, said: 'Just two years ago this felt like a moon shot. Today we take off. It's a giant leap forward, toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The Pets at Home chief operating officer, Anja Madsen, said: 'This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of pet food and will be a gamechanger for the industry.' Damien Clarkson, the chief executive of The Pack, said: 'Cultivated meat offers a tasty, low-carbon and healthy protein source which has the potential to eliminate farmed animals from the pet food industry.'
