Would YOU feed your cat lab-grown meat? World’s first cans of cultivated pet food are created in the UK

With an estimated 26 percent of households owning one, cats are among the most popular pets in Britain.

And if you have a cat, a new pet food option may soon be available to you.

Experts at London-based startup Meatly have developed the world’s first cans of pet food that use lab-grown chicken as a protein source.

The meat is grown with cells from chicken eggs grown in the laboratory and, according to Meatly, resembles real chicken.

Although the pet food still needs regulatory approval, Meatly is already working with Pets at Home, which plans to be the first retailer to offer the products in Britain.

The lab-grown cat food is made through a three-step process, which starts with a small sample of cells from a chicken egg.

“After this, we will never use an animal product in our production again,” Meatly explains on its website.

These cells are grown in the laboratory, where scientists provide them with the vitamins, minerals and amino acids needed to grow into meat.

Finally, the cells are fed into a container that controls temperature and acidity, which Meatly compares to the process used to make yogurt or beer.

“Once our meat is ready, we partner with the world’s largest pet food manufacturers to create delicious meals for pets,” the report said.

For the lab-grown cat food, Meatly collaborated with pet food company Omni, which is entering the world of cultured meat for the first time.

“The Meatly ingredient is incredibly exciting for us at Omni, not only because it represents a virtually infinite, cruelty-free source of meat, but also because it can be optimized for health,” said Dr. Guy Sandelowsky, founder of Omni.

‘This means more essential vitamins, minerals and omegas, and an elimination of the troublesome components found in traditional meat, such as antibiotic residues.

For the lab-grown cat food, Meatly collaborated with pet food company Omni, which is entering the world of cultured meat for the first time

While many pet owners are likely concerned about the safety of lab-grown meat, Meatly assures the product is safe (stock image)

‘We see this ingredient as being of particular importance to the cat food market, which currently has no credible alternative protein solutions.’

While many pet owners are likely concerned about the safety of lab-grown meat, Meatly assures that the product is safe.

“Our cultured meat is made without GMOs or antibiotics,” the company explains on its website.

‘There are no unwanted chemicals, bacteria or other harmful substances in our meat.

‘It’s simply pure chicken, making it a healthy and nutritious source of protein and nutrients for pets.’

Meatly is still awaiting regulatory approval, but has already unveiled plans to sell the product at Pets at Home.

“We are excited to be part of Meatly’s journey and look forward to being the first retailer to offer their products in our pet care centers,” said David Wainwright, commercial director at Pets at Home.

‘Although it is still early days, we want to help drive change in the sector. Finding sustainable alternatives to replace some of the proteins used in pet food worldwide would be a major step forward.”

Meatly told MailOnline that the 150g tins – enough for one meal – will cost around £1.