British newspapers The Guardian and the Financial Times report that the 'cultured meat company' Meatly expects to be able to supply supermarkets later this year with the first cans of dog and cat food made from laboratory-grown chicken.
The sale and availability 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 taken from eggs.
The director of Meatly told the Financial Times that the approval was partly granted thanks to Brexit. Britain's withdrawal from the EU has meant that British companies no longer have to comply with EU rules on this matter.
However, according to the company, Meatly's products also received approval because of the former Conservative government’s push for biotechnology and innovation.
It demonstrates Britain's desire to position itself as a leader in innovative areas within food technology, says director Owen Ensor.
Many animal lovers find it troubling to feed their pets meat from other animals, The Guardian writes. The newspaper cites research from the University of Winchester in which 50 percent of pet owners say they don’t mind feeding their animals meat produced in a laboratory. In the same study, 32 percent say they might even consider eating such meat themselves.
In many countries — including France, Italy, Austria, and seven states in the US — there is strong resistance to lab-grown meat. One of the arguments is that it threatens the livelihoods of farmers, the Financial Times writes.