Meatly, the UK’s only regulatory-approved cultivated meat company, announces the latest findings from its feeding trials with dogs for Meatly Chicken and a new investment round.
The feeding trials, claimed to be the first in the world to evaluate a cultivated meat ingredient for pets, demonstrated that Meatly Chicken is safe, showing no significant adverse effects across 134 recorded meals.
“These results demonstrate that we can feed our pets truly sustainable and kinder meat”
Since taste is king, even for dogs, alongside safety, the trials aimed to investigate if the canines liked the Meatly Chicken product. According to the results, “dogs are keen for seconds.” 50% of dogs continued licking the bowl after the meal, 75% of dogs reportedly enjoyed the cultivated meat more than their baseline diet, and 75% of dogs started their meals immediately or within a few seconds when presented.
Founder and CEO Owen Ensor shared: “Dogs will tell you if they don’t like the food you’ve served them – so we’re ecstatic that the pets in this trial enjoy Meatly Chicken even more than we thought they would! These results demonstrate that we can feed our pets truly sustainable and kinder meat without compromising on taste or nutritional values.”
Home-based trials across the UK
Treat Therapeutics conducted the trials with 31 volunteer owners and their dogs from 14 different breeds across the UK. The trials involved at-home feeding observations, including surveys with the dog owners to assess the response to the product and veterinary checks. They also included single-day and two-week controlled trials with a placebo group.
Meatly Chicken was mixed with plant-based ingredients and tested as a complete diet. The cultivated chicken is said to offer a protein profile comparable to regular chicken breast, with all the essential amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins needed for pet nutrition.
Emmanuel Bijaoui, founder of Treat Therapeutics, commented: “By collaborating with us on these exclusively home-based trials, Meatly has taken a significant step in validating cell-based meat’s relevance for real-world dogs. The positive trial outcomes from a diverse pool of participants consolidate the potential of cultivated meat as a novel ingredient.”
New capital for product launch in 2025
In addition to the feeding trials, Meatly announces it has closed its latest undisclosed funding round, securing investment from dsm-firmenich Venturing, JamJar Investments, Joyful Ventures, and a follow-on investment from Pets at Home. The funding will support plans to launch their first brand partner in early 2025.
Meatly, previously known as Good Dog Food, was founded in 2022 by Owen Ensor and Dr. Helder Cruz. The company has raised £3.6 million to develop cultivated meat ingredients for slaughter-free pet food, targeting a growing market of conscious pet owners.
“Demand for meat around the world, from both humans and our pets, is far outgrowing supply, at huge cost to the planet”
The biotech company’s cultivated chicken promises high-quality, GMO-free, antibiotic-free, and fetal bovine serum-free meat while significantly reducing the environmental impact compared to traditional factory farming. Meatly has also developed a protein-free medium that costs less than £1 a liter, reducing production costs to offer a more affordable ingredient with price parity with conventional meat.
Jim Mellon, Executive Chairman and co-founder of Agronomics and investor in Meatly, adds: “Demand for meat around the world, from both humans and our pets, is far outgrowing supply, at huge cost to the planet. The work and progress that Owen, Helder, and the team at Meatly have made this year has been truly impressive, achieving incredible cost reduction, regulatory approval, and now another financing to support the launch of its first product.”
Ensor added, “We look forward to working towards our next milestone in the next few months – launching our first-ever cultivated meat product to market.”
