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Lab-Grown Meat in Dog and Cat Food: What Pet Owners Should Know

Which cultivated-meat pet foods exist, how U.S. pet food is regulated, what's on the label, and the claims and concerns people have raised. As of October 2026.

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Key takeaway: As of October 2026, cultivated-meat pet treats have been sold in the UK and Singapore, but we found none approved or on sale in the United States. Pet food is regulated by the FDA and the states, not USDA, so read the ingredient list and nutritional adequacy statement, ask the maker, and talk to your veterinarian.

Updated October 18, 2026

Cultivated meat, often called lab-grown or cell-cultivated meat, is grown from animal cells instead of coming from a slaughtered animal. It has started to appear in pet treats outside the U.S. Here is what exists as of October 2026, how pet food is regulated in the U.S., and what to look for on a label.

Please note: This article is general information, not veterinary or nutrition advice. Every pet is different. Before changing your dog's or cat's diet, especially if your pet has health problems or a special diet, talk to your veterinarian.

Real Meat Directory uses "real meat" as its own shorthand for meat from raised or harvested animals. Cultivated products are grown from real animal cells, but they fall outside the directory by our definition. That is a choice about the directory's scope, not a judgment about the products.

Which cultivated-meat pet foods exist?

United Kingdom: Meatly

According to the trade group UK Pet Food, the UK became the first country to approve a cultivated chicken product for pet food, in 2024. That product, Meatly Chicken, is listed on the GB Register of Feed Materials, and the production site is subject to inspection like other meat facilities. On February 7, 2025, Meatly and the plant-based dog food brand THE PACK released "Chick Bites," a dog treat that combines plant-based ingredients with Meatly's cultivated chicken. It was a limited release of about 750 pouches at one Pets at Home store in London. Meatly says its chicken was grown from cells taken once from a single chicken egg.

In May 2026, Meatly announced £10.4 million in new funding to build a larger production facility in London, with product releases expected in 2027.

Singapore: Friends & Family Pet Food Co.

Friends & Family Pet Food Co. says Singapore's Animal & Veterinary Service approved its cultivated meat for pet food in June 2025. In late April 2026, the company began selling freeze-dried treats and toppers for cats and dogs, made with cultivated quail, through its website and a Singapore retailer. Pet Food Processing reported the company's claim that these were the first cultivated pet food products sold on an ongoing basis anywhere.

European Union: BioCraft Pet Nutrition

BioCraft Pet Nutrition (formerly Because Animals) grows cultivated mouse cells as an ingredient for pet food makers. In March 2025, it announced registration from Austrian authorities to use animal by-products for "multiplying cells for the production of pet food," which lets it sell its ingredient to pet food makers in the EU. The company notes that the EU has no pre-market approval process for feed ingredients; the registration applies to the facility. BioCraft and the manufacturer Prefera Petfood announced plans in April 2025 for a cat food made almost entirely from cultivated mouse cells. We found no evidence that this cat food was on sale as of October 2026.

United States

We found no cultivated-meat pet food approved or on sale in the U.S. as of October 2026. In July 2023, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine told a pet food consumer advocate: "There is currently no food made from cultured animal cells approved or otherwise accepted for use in animal food." FDA's public list of animal food ingredient consultations, as checked in October 2026, includes no cultivated animal cell ingredient. Some U.S. companies have announced plans: for example, the dog food brand Wild Earth announced cell-based pet food plans in 2021, but it went through bankruptcy and was sold in 2025, and we found no cultivated product from it.

How pet food is regulated in the U.S.

  • FDA, not USDA. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine oversees pet food. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which inspects meat for people, says food made from cultured animal cells for animal consumption is regulated solely by FDA.
  • Ingredients must be safe. FDA says pet food ingredients must be safe and have a proper function. Many ingredients, such as meat, poultry and grains, don't need pre-market approval. Others must be "generally recognized as safe" for their use or be approved as food additives.
  • States and AAFCO. States also regulate pet food, and many state rules are based on models from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a group of state and federal feed regulators. AAFCO has long published ingredient definitions. We found no AAFCO ingredient definition for cultivated animal cells as of October 2026.
  • FDA's ingredient consultation. After a long-standing agreement between FDA and AAFCO on ingredient reviews ended in October 2024, FDA created the Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC), a voluntary process for reviewing new animal food ingredients.

How this differs from cultivated meat for people

Cultivated meat and poultry for people goes through an FDA pre-market consultation and then USDA inspection, and USDA must approve its labels. (See our article on cell-cultivated labels.) Those human food clearances don't cover pet food. FDA said in 2023 that firms planning to sell cultivated cell products for animal food should contact its Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Labeling: would you know?

  • No pet-specific federal rule yet. In its 2023 statement, FDA said that because it had not approved any cultivated cell food for animals, it had not yet considered how such products would be labeled. We found no newer FDA labeling rule.
  • State laws are mostly about human food. Texas's 2025 ban covers selling cell-cultured protein "for human consumption." Florida's ban, in its food law, covers "any meat or food product produced from cultured animal cells" and doesn't mention pet food either way; we found no official guidance on whether it reaches pet food. Other state laws differ. See our state law table and check with your state's department of agriculture.
  • What makers say. Meatly's CEO said in 2026 that its future products will be clearly labeled.

Claims made by supporters

These are claims by companies and researchers, not findings by Real Meat Directory:

  • Meatly says its chicken contains the essential amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins pets need. It reported a 2024 feeding trial with 31 dogs in which no adverse effects were observed.
  • BioCraft says third-party testing found its ingredient free of bacterial pathogens and viruses, with a nutrient profile similar to the meat slurry pet food makers already use, grown in an animal-free medium.
  • Companies and supporters point to possible benefits such as fewer animals raised for food, no antibiotics in production and a more controlled supply chain.

Concerns and open questions

  • Evidence in pets. A 2024 review in the veterinary journal Companion Animal said that, as a novel ingredient, there was not yet evidence of the effects of feeding cultivated meat to dogs and cats, and that makers must demonstrate safety and nutritional soundness.
  • Complete nutrition. The products sold so far are treats and toppers, not complete diets. A pet food labeled "complete and balanced" must meet an AAFCO nutrient profile or pass an AAFCO feeding trial.
  • Growth media. What the cells are fed matters to many owners. Some companies say they use animal-free or protein-free media; check what a specific maker says.
  • Transparency. With no pet-specific labeling rule in the U.S., labels may depend on state rules and the maker's choices.
  • Cost and scale. The 2024 review said cultivated meat had never been produced at scale and faced technical challenges to reach affordable prices. Meatly's CEO said in 2026 that significant market presence was probably at least five years away.
  • Owner confidence. In a 2022 survey published in PLOS ONE, a key concern among respondents about feeding cultivated meat to pets was worry that it was not healthy.

How to check a pet food label

  • Ingredient list. FDA requires ingredients to be listed from most to least by weight. Look for words like "cultivated," "cell-cultivated" or "cultured."
  • Nutritional adequacy statement. Look for "complete and balanced" with an AAFCO reference if the food is meant to be your pet's main diet. Treats and toppers are usually labeled for intermittent or supplemental feeding.
  • Manufacturer. FDA requires the manufacturer's name and address on the label. Contact the company to ask how an ingredient is made.
  • Your veterinarian. Ask your vet before switching foods or adding new treats.

The bottom line

As of October 2026, cultivated-meat pet treats have been sold in small amounts in the UK and Singapore, an EU company is registered to sell a cultivated ingredient, and we found no cultivated-meat pet food approved or sold in the U.S. Rules here are still being worked out. Read labels, ask makers, and let your veterinarian guide what your pet eats.

Sources

Sources checked October 2026.

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Related: Find real meat by state · Meat laws by state · Informational videos

This page is general educational information, not legal, medical, or nutritional advice. Regulations differ by country and state and change over time. Check current official sources. Links to outside websites are provided for information only; Real Meat Directory is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.

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