Bene Meat Technologies, a Czech biotechnology startup, has won the Industrie award in the 23rd edition of the prestigious Česká hlava (Czech Head) awards for its innovative research and technology in the field of cultivated meat. This award acknowledges the significant advancements made in providing high-quality, ethical, and sustainable nutrition, offering value not only for human consumption, but also for pet foods.
The Česká hlava award, established in 2002, is the most prestigious honour in the field of Czech science and research. Each year, it recognizes outstanding achievements in innovation, and supports the popularization of science and technology. The Česká hlava Industrie award helps scientists and researchers build public awareness of their contributions to society. The expert panel responsible for awarding this prize consists of renowned figures from academia and industry. This panel evaluates projects with the potential to bring about major innovations and to push the global industry forward.
Bene Meat Technologies was honoured for its pioneering research in meat cultivation technologies, which align with modern trends in healthy eating, ethical animal treatment, and environmental protection. The company is the first in the world to officially register its product, “Cultivated cells of mammalian origin,” as a feed ingredient for pet food. “This award is not only a great success for us, but also a motivation for further work. Our goal is to contribute to quality and ethical eating, as well as reducing the environmental impact associated with traditional methods of meat production. We thank the organizers of this competition, Czech Television, and especially everyone who has been involved in our journey,” Ing. Tomáš Kubeš, Head of Strategic Projects at Bene Meat Technologies, says.
With this success, Bene Meat Technologies has established itself among the leaders in biotechnology. Cultivated meat is an innovative product – real animal cells that do not develop in an animal, but are grown in a cultivator, with a nutrient-rich medium. Bene Meat Technologies has developed a unique formulation of this medium, which contains no other animal-derived ingredients. Combined with advanced cultivators, this allows cells to grow in controlled and optimal conditions. This process minimizes the risk of contamination from pathogens, parasites, hormones, or antibiotics.
“In 2025, we plan to increase the production of cultivated meat to up to 500 kg per day, making our company the largest producer of this raw material in the world. We expect this to generate revenue in the low tens of millions of CZK,” Roman Kříž, CEO of Bene Meat Technologies says, and adds other benefits: “cultivated meat provides the opportunity to obtain real animal protein without the need to kill animals, and with a lower environmental impact than most traditional animal farming methods.”
Cultivated meat represents a revolutionary step forward in ethical animal treatment, as its production requires only a small sample of cells, which multiply and grow under controlled conditions. In addition to its ethical advantages, cultivated meat is also a more sustainable alternative – it requires less land, eliminates the contamination of soil and water, and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, compared to traditional meat production. It is, therefore, becoming an ideal solution to the environmental and ethical challenges facing humanity today.
The company is now intensively working on increasing production, and collaborating with leading global pet food manufacturers to develop finished products for pets. This autumn, Bene Meat Technologies also created its first, non-saleable, cultivated beef hamburger, which, once industrially produced, will be priced similarly to super-premium beef hamburgers. The next goal is to pass the strictest safety tests set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in order to offer its meat to humans.
Bene Meat Technologies
A Czech start-up company, founded in 2020, with a focus on the development and commercialization of cultivated meat in the human and pet food industry. Currently, Bene Meat employs an international team of over 100 scientists. In the autumn of 2023, BMT received registration from the Czech authorities, permitting the production of cultivated cells as a raw material for pet food. BMT is the first company able to commercialize this product for pet food within the EU. It continues to develop cultivated meat for human consumption.
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media@benemeat.com