Cultivated Dog Food On Sale In The UK In 'World First'

In what’s thought to be a world first, cultivated dog food is about to go on sale in the UK.

Pets at Home, the UK’s biggest “pet” shop chain, will stock “Chick Bites,” a treat made from cultivated chicken. They come from cultivated meat firm Meatly, which collaborated with plant-based dog food brand THE PACK to make them.

This limited-edition launch comes a few months after Meatly became the first-ever cultivated meat brand to receive regulatory approval in the UK. The Chick Bites will be available at Pets at Home Brentford, London, from tomorrow (Friday, February 7).

Chick Bites combine plant-based ingredients with Meatly’s cultivated chicken, designed to provide dogs with real meat made without slaughter. The process to make the meat begins with a single sample of cells from a chicken egg, which is then used to produce meat indefinitely – eliminating the need for animal farming. Cultivated meat isn’t yet approved for human consumption in the UK (though it is in some countries in the world), but many experts believe it to be one answer to the significant environmental impact of meat production. This new Pets at Home collaboration marks the first time ever a “pet” shop has stocked it.

“Just two years ago, this felt like a moonshot. Today, we take off,” Owen Ensor, CEO of Meatly, said in a statement. “It’s a giant leap forward – toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals. We’re proud to work alongside fellow pioneers Pets at Home and THE PACK for this momentous endeavour.”

A more sustainable option

A selection of Meatly cultivated chicken treats — Meatly Meatly received regulatory approval for its cultivated products

There are 13.5 million “pet” dogs in the UK. The vast majority of them eat a meat-based diet, which is having a significant – and seldom spoken about – environmental impact.

Around 20 percent of meat consumed in high income nations, including the UK, is consumed by companion animals. A study published last year found that the world’s dogs going vegan would save more emissions than the entire UK produces. According to Meatly, its chicken product uses 65 percent less land and releases half the CO2 emissions than conventional farmed chicken.

‘Pet’ food moves beyond traditional meat

Alongside cultivated meat, there are a number of vegan “pet” food brands that are currently making sustainable food for companion animals. Feeding animals plant-based diets remains controversial, but multiple studies have indicated that they are not only adequate, but healthier as well.

A major study published in 2022 found that vegan dogs were less likely to need routine medication and required fewer trips to the vet. The rates of health disorders were also lower in plant-based dogs.

“Our study is by far the largest study published to date,” said Prof Andrew Knight, veterinary professor of animal welfare and lead author of the study, said at the time. “It revealed that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets.”