Food tech company Further Foods Inc. may receive FDA approval for cultivated meat dog food in its Noochies! range as soon as September.
Read more: The ‘World First’ Cat Food Made with Farmed Chicken is here
Regulatory approval from the FDA will mean feeding trials for the new product can begin, bringing cultured chicken-based Noochies! a step closer to US retail.
Further Foods said in a press release that it believes no other company is currently in talks with regulators about feeding trials for a cultured chicken dog treat. The CULT Food Science subsidiary also said it expects to resolve the required feeding trials later this month, and should receive a response from the FDA within 45 days of the submission.
“I am delighted to be working with Further Foods and Noochies! in this very exciting feeding trial,” said vet nutritionist Dr. Sarah Dodd. “Cultivated meat is an area that I am personally excited about, both for its nutritional potential for animals and for its positive impact on the environment.”
A plant-based iteration of Further Foods’ Noochies! is now available across the US and Canada. This range features a patented high-protein nutritional yeast “Bmmune” – treating the one and only ingredient – that has been fermented and freeze-dried.
Cultivated meat is not plant-based, as it is real meat grown from real animal cells in a bioreactor. Cultivated meat is not 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. (Learn everything you need to know about cultured 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
Last week, Meatly became the first brand in the UK and Europe to have approval for cultured chicken-based feed for livestock. The company worked with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the 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. will launch (FnF) its cultivated fish-based treats for cats in Singapore and San Francisco by early 2025.
Traditionally, the “pet” food industry has had 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. animal (Think “poultry industry sludge.”)
In contrast, cultured meat has a variety of environmental, and ethical benefits for livestock people, including comparable nutritional density to traditional meat. However, CULT Food Science CEO Michael Scott said “the regulatory pathways have not been successfully navigated” when it comes to cellular agriculture.
“We are looking to be a first mover in that change,” added Scott. “We believe the implications of a successful trial could change the pet food landscape as a whole.”
Read more: Cultured Meat Is Sold In The US
