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BeneMeat, a Czech biotechnology startup, has won the Industrie award in the 23rd edition of the prestigious Česká hlava 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.
For more information, contact: media@benemeat.com
The Czech biotechnology startup, BeneMeat, in collaboration with scientists from the Czech Technical University in Prague, presents the first comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) study focused on the industrial cultivation of meat. This study, peer-reviewed by an LCA expert from the University of Nottingham, provides the most accurate insight to date into the environmental impacts of cultivated meat production at an industrial scale. The results of the study indicate that cultivated meat has significantly lower environmental impacts, compared to traditional animal production.
The study is based on data derived from real technology, prepared for the factory that Bene Meat is currently building near Prague. “This LCA study provides the first comprehensive insight into the actual impacts of industrial meat cultivation. Our findings demonstrate that this technology has enormous potential, in terms of environmental impacts, and achieves significantly better results than, for example, traditional beef production,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Ing. Miroslav Žilka, Ph.D., from the Czech Technical University in Prague, says. Ing. Petr Bubeníček, Head of Production at BMT, emphasizes that the study includes, among other factors, all of the input materials, which account for more than half of the total emissions per kilogram of meat. This implies that the cultivation technology is so optimized and efficient that most of the related emissions occur outside the biotechnology facility – at the raw material suppliers.
Key findings from the study include:
• Land use: Currently, only 3.1 m² (including the growing of the necessary raw materials) is needed to cultivate 1 kg of meat (less than for any conventional farmed meat). The study predicts a future reduction to 2.0 m² per kilogram.
• Greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint): Currently, 5.28 kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2 eq.) emissions are produced per kilogram of meat, which is less than most meats from conventional farming. The study predicts a gradual decrease to 3.29 kg CO2 eq. For comparison, producing 1 kg of beef generates between 20 and 100 kg of CO2 eq., depending on the type of farming (Ourworldindata, 2020). This value includes not only all necessary raw materials and energy, but also the impacts of producing all of the equipment needed for cultivation, as well as all of the other inputs.
The comprehensive independent review of the study was conducted by Professor Jon McKechnie from the University of Nottingham, who specializes in cost-effective resource utilization strategies contributing to environmental sustainability goals. He confirmed that the study was conducted in accordance with established standards, with the key results presented transparently and adequately.
More detailed information about the LCA study will be presented by its author, Dr. Ing. Miroslav Žilka, Ph.D., at the 10th annual ISCCM10 conference for experts in cultivated meat, in the Netherlands on November 19th, 2024. The results will also be published in a scientific journal. “We believe that this study marks a key milestone in understanding the environmental impacts of cultivated meat, and confirms its potential as a sustainable source of protein,” Ing. Tomáš Kubeš, Head of Strategic Projects at BMT adds.
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 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.
For more information, contact: media@benemeat.com
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W rozmowach o zmianach klimatu rzadko porusza się kwestię wpływu żywienia zwierząt towarzyszących. Tymczasem badania pokazują, że sposób karmienia psów i kotów ma realne znaczenie dla emisji gazów cieplarnianych, a im bardziej „premium”, tym gorzej dla środowiska.
Katharina Eist Holland brings a unique combination of commercial strategy, industry expertise, and academic insight to her role at BeneMeat. With a PhD in social science and senior experience across the alternative protein sector, she has helped global companies connect with ethical consumers and successfully bring innovative products to market. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to building a more sustainable food system.
- The Bene Meat story
- Why and how cultivated pet food makes sense
- Regulatory and practical challenges of cultivated meat
Clarification on regulatory approvals: when referring to approvals in Singapore and the US, this applies to the cultured meat sector in general, not Bene Meat specifically. Bene Meat does not currently hold regulatory approval in these regions.
Reggio Calabria è una città che incanta: il mare, il lungomare più bello d’Italia, il sole che scalda anche d’inverno, il gelato mangiato guardando la Sicilia. Ma per molti giovani tutto questo non basta più. Non basta quando manca il lavoro, quando le competenze non vengono riconosciute, quando le passioni restano chiuse in un cassetto.
Europejski program Try & Share, który BeneMeat uruchomił pod koniec września 2025 roku, wciąż trwa i przynosi pierwsze wyniki. Program umożliwia opiekunom psów z całej Unii Europejskiej testowanie psich przysmaków bogatych w mięso hodowane komórkowe
oraz dzielenie się swoimi doświadczeniami. Do tej pory do programu dołączyli ludzie i ich psy z 25 krajów europejskich, a dotychczasowe dane pokazują, że mięso hodowane szybko zdobywa sympatię czteronożnych uczestników. Według odpowiedzi 90% opiekunów potwierdza, że ich pupilom przysmaki smakowały. Ogólna pozytywna opinia uczestników sięga 98%, a aż 98,6% z nich deklaruje, że wzięliby udział w programie ponownie. Równie optymistycznie wygląda odpowiedź na pytanie, czy kupiliby takie przysmaki, jeśli byłyby powszechnie dostępne – „tak” odpowiedziało 85% ankietowanych. Dla opiekunów istotna jest jednak nie tylko smakowitość przysmaków, lecz także wartości, jakie niesie ze sobą mięso hodowane komórkowo. Dla 79,7% uczestników kluczowe jest to, że mięso nie zawiera antybiotyków ani hormonów, a dla 91% ważną rolę odgrywa dobrostan zwierząt, czyli etyczny proces produkcji. Te czynniki okazują się głównymi motywacjami do udziału w programie. Program Try & Share trwa do 31 grudnia 2025 roku, a zainteresowani z całej Unii Europejskiej
wciąż mogą się zgłaszać za pośrednictwem strony tryandshare. benemeat.com. Udział w programie jest bezpłatny. Pełne wyniki BeneMeat opublikuje po jego zakończeniu. BeneMeat to biotechnologiczna firma należąca do grupy BTL, skoncentrowana na opracowywaniu skalowalnej i efektywnej technologii produkcji mięsa hodowanego komórkowo. Jesienią 2023 roku firma uzyskała rejestrację uprawniającą do produkcji hodowanych komórek jako surowca paszowego do karm dla zwierząt domowych.
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