CZECH REPUBLIC – Czech start-up Bene Meat Technologies is making strides in the cultured meat industry, recently unveiling the first samples of its lab-grown meat for pet food.
At this year’s Interzoo 2024 show in Nuremberg, Germany, the company showcased cultivated meat chunks in gravy for cats and dogs, produced using cultivated cells.
Tomaš Kubeš, the company’s cofounder, expressed optimism about the future of their product, stating, “We’re leading the race for the introduction of cultivated meat into pet food, and we’re actively seeking partners to join forces with our company.”
The raw material, manufactured in a laboratory using bioreactors, involves a non-invasive process of extracting cells from living animals and cultivating them in a nutrient-rich medium, as outlined by the start-up.
According to multiple reports, the company is on the lookout for a pet food-producing partner to process their raw material and bring it to market shelves by the year’s end.
Vendula Kučerová, head of sales and marketing strategy at Bene Meat Technologies, anticipates the product’s release in late 2024 across various markets.
The company, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, has been diligently working on its product since 2020.
In a significant milestone, the company secured European Union registration for laboratory-grown meat for pet food towards the end of last year.
With plans to scale up production to several metric tons per day, Bene Meat Technologies is poised to make a lasting impact on the pet food industry with its innovative approach to cultivated meat.
Looking ahead, Bene Meat Technologies plans to inaugurate a new production facility by late 2024 – the facility will serve as a hub for manufacturing cultivated meat for trials, samples, and collaborative product development ventures with business partners.
Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Business Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food and agro industry. HERE