Our company’s pet food ingredient has achieved a significant milestone in the alternative proteins space. On November 8, 2023, it was officially registered under the Feed Materials Register as ‘Cultivated Cells of Mammalian Origin’. Prior to this, on October 27, 2023, our production line was approved by the Czech Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture. These two milestones allow us to produce and commercialize this innovative ingredient for pet food across the EU market.
Head of Strategic Projects
Bene Meat Technologies
Bene Meat Technologies, a cultivated meat company with a mission to develop meat that is not only sustainable and ethical, but also affordable and accessible to everyone, is strengthening its presence in the alternative protein market with its ingredients for pet food. Thanks to two approvals from authorities, the company has been able to produce and commercialize this innovative ingredient for pet food in the European market. Tomáš Kubeš, Head of Strategic Projects at the company, shares the following information: “We have already begun supplying our cultivated meat ingredient to several pet food manufacturers, working with them to develop the final products.”
Kubeš provides details about Bene Meat Technologies’ innovative ingredient and the use of cultivated meat in pet food for the readers of our magazine.
Dear Mr. Kubeš, first of all, can you introduce Bene Meat Technologies to our readers who may not know about your company? What is your expertise and how long have you been in the business for?
At Bene Meat Technologies, we are dedicated to reshaping the future of meat production—creating cultivated meat that does not rely on animal slaughter or harm to the environment. Our mission is to develop meat that is both sustainable and ethical, while being affordable and accessible to all.
Cultivated meat offers numerous advantages over conventional meat. It is produced without antibiotics and under highly controlled conditions, eliminating the risk of harmful residues commonly associated with traditional slaughterhouse meat. Additionally, it represents a far more sustainable and responsible approach to meeting global protein demands.
I joined Bene Meat Technologies in the summer of 2021, bringing my experience in commercializing revolutionary technologies. I am responsible for listening to customers and ensuring that the nascent technology in the hands of our scientists turns into a product that solves a specific problem customers are already having. Officially, my title is “Head of Strategic Projects,” though in the context of a U.S. startup, my role would likely align with a “Chief Product Officer” position.
Is it true that Bene Meat Technologies is the first entity to produce and sell cultured meat for the purpose of making pet food? Can you tell us about the reason why you chose to go into this specific field?
Our company’s pet food ingredient has achieved a significant milestone in the alternative proteins space. On November 8, 2023, it was officially registered under the Feed Materials Register as “Cultivated Cells of Mammalian Origin” with ID number 009569. Prior to this, on October 27, 2023, our production line was approved by the Czech Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (No.: CZ 802529-01). These two milestones allow us to produce and commercialize this innovative ingredient for pet food across the EU market.
We are proud to be the first company globally to gain market access for cultivated meat as a pet food ingredient, paving the way for future advancements in this field.
Our team of 100 dedicated professionals is working relentlessly to scale production, and we have already begun supplying our cultivated meat ingredient to several pet food manufacturers, working with them to develop the final products.
The demand we’re addressing is clear. Pet owners recognize the importance of meat in their pets’ diets but often feel a moral disconnect between the care they provide to their companions and the conditions under which farmed animals are raised and slaughtered. Affordable cultivated meat offers a compelling solution, providing the authentic high-quality, nutritious animal protein—without the need for animal suffering or slaughter. It represents an ethical alternative that resonates with today’s conscientious consumers.
Why should cultured meat be used in the production of pet food? What are your reasonings for the usage?
There are several compelling reasons to use cultivated meat in pet food. First, it provides a premium, high-quality protein source with over 77% protein content in dry mass, making it a great choice for pets with specific dietary needs.
As a monoprotein derived from a single species and cell type, it significantly lowers the risk of allergic reactions, making it ideal for specialized veterinary diets, especially for sensitive animals.
The sterile, controlled environment in which cultivated meat is produced, eliminates the risks like contamination from pathogens, parasites, hormones, or antibiotics, which is a constant concern for almost all pet food manufacturers.
For pet food manufacturers, it might also represent increased security in sourcing. In future, meat could be cultivated directly on site, reducing the logistical risks, again a common headache for most pet food supply managers , and would also contribute to an overall reduction in the carbon footprint.
Finally, as mentioned, cultivated meat addresses the ethical concerns of some pet owners who struggle with the moral dilemma of killing one animal to feed another, to fulfill the need for meat in pet diets.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk regarding the ban of cultured meat, with Italy and some US states being the most recent ones to implement the ban. What are your thoughts on the bans? Why should the production of cultured meat be supported/approved?
We are actively monitoring the regulatory landscape regarding potential bans on cultivated meat both in Europe and in the USA. Whenever possible, we engage in constructive dialogue to address concerns and provide accurate, science-based information. We recognize that many of the fears driving these bans stem from misconceptions or a lack of knowledge about the technology.
We are convinced that if people better understood the technology, the cleanliness, the monitoring and the care cultivation requires, they would not be worried.
Some people are also worried about the future of farming. Our aim is not to replace traditional farm animals or their products, but to offer consumers an additional option—an alternative for those who seek one. We believe cultivated meat can complement existing choices and broaden the menu. Cultivated meat might also be an interesting choice for those who currently avoid meat altogether.
We do not want to prescribe to anyone what they should eat and we are very sad that someone wants to ban something we would like to eat. We strongly believe that anyone should be free to enjoy bolognese spaghetti, salads or burgers with the protein source their heart desires.
Do you have any trials about the usage of cultured meat in pet food? What can you say about its effects on animal health and welfare in particular?
At Bene Meat Technologies, safety is our foremost priority. To ensure this, we conduct tests that far exceed regulatory standards. We have performed a comprehensive review of all potential risks associated with meat cultivation, and this thorough assessment will be published in a scientific journal. We believe it could set a new industry standard for cultivated meat safety.
Our rigorous process begins with screening cell samples for contaminants, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other possible hazards. Only when the cells pass this stringent screening are they approved for further development.
Throughout cultivation, we maintain a completely sterile environment, as the cells are grown outside an organism without the natural immune defenses that would typically protect them. Even the presence of a single bacterium is enough to spoil an entire batch. Our cultivators are thus held to absolute 100% sterility, levels that exceed even those of operating rooms.
We have a robust system in place to monitor every input, output, and potential vulnerability in the process. Once the cultivated meat is ready, we conduct an extensive laboratory analysis, testing for bacteria, heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, molds, toxins, and other harmful substances. Our final lab test currently screens for over 50 different elements, ensuring the highest possible quality and cleanliness of the product.
No conventionally produced meat undergoes the level of scrutiny, screening, and cleanliness control that cultivated meat does.
Furthermore, we are collaborating with several independent research institutions and universities to conduct a series of feeding trials on the final product. We have already completed in-vitro studies, and multiple feeding trials, including digestion and long-term feeding tests, are either in progress or about to begin.
What is the current price difference between cultured meat and real meat? When can cultured meat become a real affordable and accessible alternative for pet food manufacturers?
From the outset, our goal has been to make cultivated meat accessible to the broader public. We believe it should not be a luxury available only to the wealthiest consumers. In the near term, we are pricing our ingredient to be compatible with current premium pet food formulations. Over time, our aim is to further reduce costs, making our cultivated meat affordable even for the mass pet food market.
What are your expectations for the future of the cultured meat industry?
Meat cultivation is still an emerging industry. The first cultivated burger was introduced in 2013, and by 2020, small quantities of cultivated meat became available to consumers in few restaurants in Singapore, followed by few restaurants in the U.S. in 2023. In 2024, the first cultivated meat product appeared on retail shelves in a single store in Singapore.
At Bene Meat Technologies, we are working diligently to bring cultivated meat to our four-legged European consumers. Our initial cultivation facility will have an annual production capacity of around 200 tonnes. For context, 42 million tonnes of meat were slaughtered in Europe alone in 2022, and globally, that number reached approximately 330 million tonnes.
Even scaling our current facility 10,000 times would only account for less than 5% of the European market. This reality underscores the challenge and the scale of work ahead. Therefore I can confidently predict that over the next decade, our industry will be focused on scaling production, optimizing processes, and meeting the demand of early adopters.
Looking forward, I am confident that cultivated meat will become a viable, ethical, and sustainable protein source, offering consumers—and their pets—a meaningful alternative.
