CULT Food Science plans FDA trial for cultivated meat in pet food

CULT Food Science has announced that its subsidiary, Further Foods, is on track to submit a feeding trial design for FDA approval later this month. The trial will assess the safety of incorporating cell-cultivated chicken into dog food products, specifically for their Noochies! brand.

Cell-cultivated chicken is a novel ingredient without prior approval for animal consumption. To address this, Further Foods is collaborating with Dr Sarah Dodd to develop a Target Animal Safety (TAS) study. This research aims to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of including cell-cultivated chicken in Noochies! formulations. Once FDA approval is secured, Further Foods plans to initiate the feeding trials in the fourth quarter of the year.

Mitchell Scott, CEO of CULT Food Science, highlighted the company's pioneering role in this space. "We believe this FDA feeding trial will place us at the forefront of cellular agriculture and cultivated meat innovation," Scott stated. "Beyond that, we anticipate a successful trial could revolutionize the pet food industry. Cultivated meat offers nutritional, environmental, and ethical advantages for pet owners. However, regulatory hurdles have prevented its widespread availability in North America. We aim to be the first to change that."

The TAS study will involve a 26-week, minimally invasive feeding trial with 30 healthy adult dogs across various breeds and ages. The dogs will receive either a control dose, a test dose, or a high inclusion dose of cell-cultivated chicken. Key parameters such as feed intake, blood work, urine analysis, weight, fecal matter, and digestibility will be closely monitored to assess the safety of the ingredient.

Dr Dodd expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration and the potential of cultivated meat. "I'm excited to work with Further Foods and Noochies! on this groundbreaking feeding trial," Dodd said. "Cultivated meat holds immense promise for both animal nutrition and environmental sustainability. I look forward to navigating the regulatory process with the FDA and driving this pioneering research forward."