On 7.11.2023, the Czech start-up Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) won the world championship to produce and sell cultured meat for PET FOOD needs. With the registration obtained from the European Feed Materials Register, it becomes the only entity in the world that can produce and sell this product for PET FOOD needs.
Thanks to cultured meat*, pet food will be full of pure, high-quality animal protein, without the need for a single animal to die in its production. Thanks to PET FOOD** with cultured meat, owners and manufacturers will no longer have to compromise on taste, nutrition, or even on the quality of feed. For all these reasons, the obtained registration for the production and sale of cultured meat is an important milestone for the world of PET FOOD producers and animal owners alike.
The extent of Bene Meat Technologies’ success
The Prague-based start-up has been working on the development and technology of cultured meat production since 2020, in an eighty-member international team of scientists. Since its foundation, it has had a single investor – the internationally successful BTL group, which is engaged in the field of medical devices.
After just three years, fantastic success comes in the form of technology and product registration. “We’re excited to have achieved registration of a new raw material from the European Feed Materials Register, binding for the entire European Union; this first is the beginning of our journey to include the production and sale of other forms of cultured meat,” says Roman Kříž, Managing Director of Bene Meat Technologies.
“We know that at this stage of the research we have already met the needs of PET FOOD producers, who are constantly looking for ethically and economically meaningful ways to satisfy their demanding customers, pet owners, with their products. And we are personally excited that for the first time in history, we are offering a quality meat alternative without killing animals, and at a competitive price,” he adds.
The benefits of cultured meat
The main advantages lie in the health of the products, the quality of the raw materials, and solving the ethical problem of where the animal protein contained in PET FOOD comes from.
The product (CM) is produced in a laboratory in bioreactors; it’s produced by non-violently removing cells from a living animal, and then growing them in a nutrient-rich medium. The cells “grow”, the cultured meat is then textured and formed into the desired shape. And importantly for the market, BMT has developed the technology to produce cultured meat in such a way that the resulting price is competitive in comparison with the prices of products made from traditionally sourced raw materials.
Cultured meat as a competitive advantage for PET FOOD manufacturers
Cats and dogs like cultured meat, because it’s real meat, not a meat substitute. Manufacturers of cultured meat feeds will appreciate the controllable production, the purity of the final product, and the possibility to use it for any type of final product. BMT technology is able to adapt to any manufacturer’s requirements for the resulting type of feed. It’s unique in that it solves all aspects of production and the resulting price – it offers a raw material that can be fully used in production, comprehensively in terms of quality, affordable price, and required quantity.
“Thanks to the obtained registration, nothing prevents us from taking further steps; we’re negotiating with feed manufacturers to get this wonderful product into production,” Tomáš Kubeš, Head of Strategic Projects, explains the immediate plans.
Additionally, due to the purity of the manufactured animal protein in cultured meat, there is a reasonable assumption that cats and dogs will benefit from it more than from foods made from traditional live animal ingredients.
Cultured meat from BMT, and its further development
Registration to produce and sell cultured meat gives hope for a near future where pet owners can give their pets the best food. Feeds with pure protein and high ethical value.
“We look forward to working with manufacturers, as we’re doing it for them and their customers. Ethical principles have always been among the main reasons why BMT started developing cultured meat technology. This success is very personal for us, and we’re convinced that animals should not die due to the consumption by people, as well as by their pets. And manufacturers have a unique chance to gain an unprecedented competitive advantage in the market, thanks to the existence of our product.” says Managing Director Roman Kříž, in closing.
When PET FOOD containing cultured meat appears on the market depends on the agreements with the manufacturers. Sample products will be available as early as 2024, and pet products can realistically be expected in stores in the same year.
Third party support
The registration of cultured meat for PET FOOD industry is greatly appreciated by the activist community as well. “It is hugely welcome to see the advent of a new kind of meat from stem-cells grown in a bioreactor being offered as a much more sustainable alternative,” says Philip Lymbery, Global Chief Executive of Compassion in World Farming International (CIWF). Their aim is to reform food and farming system and establish more humane, fair and sustainable conditions in the animal agriculture industry. “It really is good news to see cultivated meat produced without harming any animals entering the marketplace,” he adds.
**Cultured meat – a term referring to meat (including muscle cells, fat cells, connective tissue, blood, and other components) produced by culturing animal cells, not by slaughtering a live animal. (Source: New Harvest – a research institute that aims to accelerate progress in cellular agriculture).
* PET FOOD – pet food and feeds for your pets
Bene Meat Technologies
A Czech startup company, founded in 2020, with a focus on the development and commercialization of cultured meat in the food and feed industry. The main investor is the BTL group, which is a global manufacturer of devices for cardiology, physiotherapy, and aesthetic medicine. Currently, Bene Meat employs an international team of more than 80 researchers and developers. BMT aims to develop technology that produces cultured meat by multiplying animal cells without the use of raw materials from slaughtered animals, while allowing operators to offer this product at prices that are affordable to consumers.
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