Owner Of Pedigree And Whiskas Said To Be ‘Developing’ Meat-Free Pet Food

Mars Petcare, who owns popular brands such as Pedigree and Whiskas, is said to be ‘developing’ a meat-free pet food.

The company is reportedly exploring alternatives to traditional pet food containing meatless due to concerns surrounding the environmental impact of animal argiculture.

‘Begging for scraps’

According to the Telegraph, Mars is also aware of ‘rising consumption of meat’ and the decreasing supply of farmland which could leave pets ‘begging for scraps’.

“The rising popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets for their relatively low impact on carbon emissions is meanwhile expected to extend to pets and is viewed as a market opportunity,” the paper states.

‘Clean meat pet food’

Many companies have launched ‘clean meat pet food’, such as Canadian tech startup Because Animals Inc – who aims to release its first product, a cat treat made from mince, next year.

Clean Meat is not a vegan product as it uses animal cells, though some vegans support it because of its potential to reduce animal slaughter.

“What makes this clean meat extra special is that we’ve grown it without any animal ingredients,” Dr. Shannon Falconer, Chief Executive Officer of Because Animals, said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.

“At the moment, the standard in the clean meat industry is to grow tissue using serum from another animal – usually fetal bovine serum.

“Because Animals is changing that by creating ultra-nutritious foods that provide all the nutritional benefits of traditional animal protein but with animal-free ingredients that protect pets, people and our planet.”

Plant Based news has contacted Mars Petcare for comment