The UK is set to become the first European country to commercialize lab-grown meat, following regulatory approval for a local start-up to produce lab-cultivated chicken meat for pet food.
A Better Way
With the necessary approvals in place, the start-up, Meatly, announced on Wednesday that it plans to start producing commercial samples of its pet food while continuing efforts to reduce costs and scale up production to an industrial level within the next three years according to Ziare.
"Pet owners are seeking a better way to feed their cats and dogs with meat. Now, we can continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice," said Meatly CEO Owen Ensor.
Faces Challenges
Lab-grown meat has generated significant buzz over the past five years due to its potential to reduce the environmental impact associated with conventionally produced meat.
However, the industry faces challenges such as reduced investments, difficulties in achieving large-scale production, and hostile reactions in some countries.
Lab-grown meat is created through a process that uses animal cells to produce muscle tissue similar to meat from slaughtered animals.
Obtaining approvals for human consumption of lab-grown meat in Europe is expected to be a lengthy process, leading start-ups in the field to look towards Asia and the USA for future growth.
Although the US and Singapore have permitted the sale of lab-grown chicken meat for human consumption, the quantities sold so far have been minimal.
