Britain Approves Use of Lab-Grown Meat for Animal Feed

The United Kingdom has become the first country in Europe to approve the commercial production of artificial meat intended for animal feed. According to a report by the Financial Times (FT), the startup Meatly has received the necessary permissions from the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, which oversees animal feed, as well as from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The company plans to start selling lab-grown chicken meat to animal feed producers this year. Unlike plant-based meat products, which are made from soy or pea protein, lab-grown meat is derived from animal cells cultivated in bioreactors. FT notes that UK authorities have yet to approve the sale of such meat for human consumption, unlike Israel, Singapore, and the United States.

According to the company's CEO, Owen Ensor, obtaining permission for artificial meat production for animal feed marks the starting point for the development of this product's market. He added that the approval for the sale of lab-grown meat in the UK has been made possible by Brexit and the government’s focus on biotechnology and innovation.

A survey conducted by the University of Winchester indicates that 50% of respondents are willing to feed their pets lab-grown meat, while 32% are open to consuming such products themselves.