Food tech company Further Foods Inc. could receive FDA approval for cultivated meat dog food in its Noochies! range as soon as September.
Read more: ‘World First’ Cat Food Made With Cultivated Chicken Is Here
Regulatory approval from the FDA would mean feeding trials for the new product could begin, bringing cultivated chicken-based Noochies! one step closer to retail in the US.
Further Foods said in a press release that it believes no other company is currently in dialogue with regulators about feeding trials for a cultivated chicken dog treat. The CULT Food Science subsidiary also said that it expects to resolve the necessary feeding trials later this month, and should receive a response from the FDA within 45 days of submission.
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Further Foods and Noochies! on this very exciting feeding trial,” said vet nutritionist Dr. Sarah Dodd. “Cultivated meat is an area I am personally exceptionally excited about, for both its nutritional potential for animals and for its positive impact on the environment.”
A plant-based iteration of Further Foods’ Noochies! is already available throughout the US and Canada. This range features a patented high-protein nutritional yeast “Bmmune” – treats’ one and only ingredient – which has been fermented and freeze dried.
Cultivated meat is not plant-based, as it’s real meat grown from real animal cells in a bioreactor. Cultivated meat isn’t considered vegan because of this, as well as the fact that it requires the use of an animal in its production. But many vegans support the industry as a possible route out of animal agriculture. (Find out all you need to know about cultivated meat here). Both the plant-based and cultivated companion animal food industries are rapidly growing in popularity.
Read more: Pets Choice Acquires Vegan Dog Food Brand HOWND
FDA approval could ‘change the landscape’ of the sector
Just last week, Meatly became the first brand in the UK and Europe with approval for its cultivated chicken-based food for animals. The company worked with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Department for Environment & Food Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for 18 months before they were granted regulatory approval.
Meanwhile, Friends & Family Pet Food Co. (FnF) will launch its cultivated fish-based treats for cats in Singapore and San Francisco by early 2025.
Traditionally, the “pet” food industry has a significant negative impact on the environment and farmed animals, and some people question the nutritional benefits of mainstream products made from offcuts and diseased animals. (Think “poultry industry sludge.”)
In contrast, cultivated meat has a variety of environmental, and ethical benefits for people with animal companions, including comparable nutritional density to traditional meat. However, CULT Food Science CEO Michael Scott noted that “the regulatory pathways have yet to be successfully navigated” when it comes to cellular agriculture.
“We are seeking to be a first mover in changing that,” added Scott. “We believe that the implications of a successful trial could change the landscape of pet food as a whole.”
Read more: Cultivated Meat Is Cleared for Sale In The US
