Britain becomes the first country in Europe to approve the sale of lab-grown meat. However, the meat has so far only been approved for processing in animal feed. Meatly submitted an application last year to have animal feeds approved.
British newspapers The Guardian and the Financial Times report that the 'artificial meat company' Meatly expects to be able to supply the first cans of dog and cat food made from laboratory-grown chickens to supermarkets later this year.
The sale and supply of meat substitutes made from soy or pea protein has increased recently in many European countries. But the chicken meat grown in laboratories is made from cells from eggs.
The director of Meatly tells the Financial Times that it was partly thanks to Brexit that the approval was granted. The UK's withdrawal from the EU has meant that UK companies no longer have to adhere to the EU rules in this area.
But Meatly's products also received approval because of the former Conservative government's push for biotechnology and innovation, according to the company.
It shows Britain's desire to position itself as a leader in innovative areas of food technology, says director Owen Ensor.
Many animal lovers find it annoying to feed their pets meat from other animals, writes The Guardian. The newspaper cites a study from the University of Winchester in which 50 percent of pet owners say they would not mind feeding their animals meat produced in a laboratory. In the same survey, 32 percent said they could even think about eating that type of meat themselves.
In many countries – including France, Italy, Austria and seven US states – there is strong resistance to lab-grown meat. One of the arguments is that it threatens the livelihood of farmers, writes the Financial Times.