Agronomics Limited has announced that its portfolio company, Good Dog Food Ltd (trading as "Meatly"), has successfully created the world's first cans of pet food using cultivated chicken as a protein source. This achievement was made possible through a partnership with Omni Pet Ltd, a UK-based novel protein pet food company. Omni, known for its sales of dog food crafted from pulse, algae, and yeast protein, has now incorporated Meatly's cruelty-free chicken ingredient into its products, marking a significant step towards offering ethical, environmentally friendly, and healthy pet food options.
Once regulatory approval is obtained, Meatly-produced pet food will be available in stores across the UK through partnerships with retailers and manufacturers like Omni. Pets at Home Limited, an early investor in Meatly, plans to be the first retailer to offer these products in its stores. Meatly, formerly known as 'Good Dog Food', has been working with the UK's Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs to obtain approval for its cultivated chicken pet food to become available in the UK.
Owen Ensor, Co-founder and CEO of Meatly, expressed excitement about this milestone, stating, "It is incredibly exciting to see the first ever cans of cultivated pet food fly off the production line. This is a major milestone for cultivated meat globally and shows that we are ready to sell product." Jim Mellon, Agronomics' Executive Chairman, highlighted the rapid progress Meatly has made and expressed optimism about the company's readiness to bring its product to market with key partners in the pet food industry.
Meatly, founded in 2022, produces ethical and sustainable cultivated meat products without compromising on essential nutritional benefits, with a current focus on the pet food market. Agronomics, a leading listed company focusing on investment opportunities within the field of cellular agriculture, has established a portfolio of over 20 companies in this rapidly advancing sector. The company seeks to invest in technologies that offer new ways of producing food and ingredients with a focus on products historically derived from animals, driving a major disruption in agriculture to improve sustainability and address human health, food security, and animal welfare.
This partnership between Meatly and Omni represents a significant advancement in the field of cultivated meat and demonstrates the potential for ethical and sustainable alternatives in the pet food industry.