Because, Animals, the only pet food company growing cultured meat for dogs and cats, has successfully completed the world’s first cultured meat product for pets. This achievement marks the world’s first CPG product made with cultured meat as well as the first cookie for cats that includes mouse meat – the species-appropriate, ancestral diet of the cat.
The company closed its oversubscribed seed round this May, led by Orkla, marking its first investment in pet food and the first move for its Orkla Alternative Proteins (OAP) unit, which was recently established with the intention of becoming one of the leading competitors in the field of alternative proteins in Europe by 2030.
Harmless Hunt™ Mouse Cookies for Cats with Cultured Meat made from cultured mouse, is currently being debuted to the public at SuperZoo, one of the largest pet trade shows in the world, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The event goes on until tomorrow 19th August. The product, which passed a series of taste tests with even fussy-eater cats, includes cultured mouse blended with tempeh, miso, nutritional yeast and more.
By using mouse cells, Harmless Hunt avoids the most prevalent food allergens in pets — beef and poultry. Since it is produced in a sterile, controlled environment, it is free of antibiotics and pathogens, and contains no slaughterhouse by-products or rendered ingredients.
“The public launch of Harmless Hunt is a milestone for us, for the cultured and alt-protein industry, for pet food, and for animals raised and slaughtered to feed cats and dogs,” said Because, Animals co-founder and CEO Dr. Shannon Falconer. “We are finally able to provide pets with a healthier, safer, greener choice at a price that will be on par with other premium retail products.”
Harmless Hunt Mouse Cookies for Cats are expected to be on the market in early 2022, barring any regulatory or governance hurdles, long before cultured meat for human consumption is commercially available. And the company is now taking pre-orders and getting ready to sell a limited batch at the end of the year.
