A peer-reviewed feeding trial published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that a complete feline diet containing cultivated meat from BeneMeat showed strong acceptance and digestibility comparable to a conventional chicken-based control diet.
A scientific study conducted in collaboration between BeneMeat and Ghent University has evaluated the acceptance and digestibility of a complete feline diet containing cultivated meat as a novel pet food ingredient.
The feeding trial demonstrated strong acceptance of the cultivated meat diet in domestic cats. Optimal acceptance was observed in 9 out of 10 cats, with significantly lower food leftovers reported for the cultivated meat diet compared to the food-grade chicken control. The study also found comparable protein and fat digestibility between both diets, stable body and muscle condition scores, and optimal fecal consistency throughout the trial.
"This study represents an important step in evaluating cultivated ingredients for pet nutrition under standardized feeding conditions," said Simone Stringhetti, clinical studies coordinator at BeneMeat, who coordinated the study on behalf of the company. "The results confirm very good acceptance and digestibility of the tested ingredient in cats in comparison with the control diet."
The study provides an early contribution to a broader research effort, added Federica Bortolazzi, lead author of the study from Ghent University. "While further studies are needed, the results so far are encouraging and highlight the potential of cultivated meat for pet food applications," said Bortolazzi.
The findings were also presented at the SCIVAC veterinary conference in Rimini, Italy.
Cultivated meat, also referred to as cultured meat or cell-based meat, is produced by growing animal cells in a controlled environment. The process begins with a small sample of animal cells, which are nourished with essential nutrients and guided to form muscle, fat and connective tissue, replicating natural biological growth. According to New Harvest, a research institute focused on cellular agriculture, the term refers to meat produced by cultivating animal cells in a controlled environment rather than through conventional animal production.
BeneMeat is a biotech company, part of the BTL Group, focused on developing scalable cultivated meat production technology.
