Meatly has received regulatory clearance to sell a pet food product made from cultivated meat, marking a significant milestone for the emerging cultivated meat industry.

Unlike the approval process for cultivated meat products intended for human consumption, Meatly's cultivated chicken pet food has been cleared for sale under the UK's animal by-products regulations, which have a quicker and less stringent approval process.

Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said: "The UK is a world leader in developing cultivated meat, and the approval of a cultivated pet food is an important milestone. It underscores the potential for new innovation to help reduce the negative impacts of intensive animal agriculture."

He continued: "If we're to realise the full potential benefits of cultivated meat – from enhancing food security to supporting the expansion of regenerative farming – the government must invest in the research and infrastructure needed to make it delicious, affordable and accessible for people across the UK".

The first UK applications for cultivated meat intended for human consumption remain under assessment with the Food Standards Agency, a process that is expected to take at least 18 months due to the more rigorous novel food approval system.

Meatly's cultivated chicken pet food, however, has been cleared for sale under the animal by-products regulations, which have a different safety assessment and risk management process. This allows the product to reach the market more quickly, though it is not approved for human consumption.

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