Approved by Singapore: Friends & Family Pet Food Company Produces Cultivated Meat for Pets
Friends & Family Pet Food Company to Launch Cultivated Meat Products for Pets
In a significant milestone for the pet food industry, Friends & Family Pet Food Company, a US-based foodtech startup, has announced that it will begin production of cultivated meat products for pets later this summer or early fall. The company's co-founder and CEO, Joshua Errett, made the announcement, promising that products will become available shortly after production commences.
Friends & Family's treats will be priced competitively in the premium Southeast Asian market, making them accessible to a wide range of pet owners. The company's focus is on pet nutrition, and they aim to provide high-performance, premium pet food products using cultivated meat.
The company produces human-grade cultivated meat from the cells of Kampung birds, a breed native to Malaysia and Indonesia. This innovative approach ensures a sustainable and ethical source of meat for pet food. Friends & Family has received regulatory approval from the EU and Switzerland for cultivated meat, and they have also secured approval to sell their cultured quail in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Initially, Friends & Family will sell its cultivated meat products as part of eight SKUs, with more to follow. The products will contain prebiotics and oligosaccharides, which can make it through the digestive tract to the microbiome and support stool quality, nutrient absorption, and the immune function of companion animals.
Friends & Family is not alone in this venture. They work with 10 undisclosed partners, including contract manufacturers and academic institutions. Singapore was the first to approve cultivated meat back in 2020, and the company has received regulatory approval from Singapore's Animal & Veterinary Services (AVS) to sell cultivated meat for dogs and cats.
Industry experts are hopeful of approvals in Thailand and South Korea this year, as Friends & Family is currently working with regulators in these countries. The UK has created a designated regulatory sandbox to help human food companies follow in the footsteps of Good Meat, which rolled out its chicken in restaurants and later in retail in Singapore.
Friends & Family has a small amount of venture capital, with the rest of the funding coming from Errett's last exit. The company is also opening up a new round of funding to scale up production and nail its product-market fit. As they continue to grow, Friends & Family aims to revolutionise the pet food industry with their sustainable, high-quality, and nutritious cultivated meat products.
