BioCraft Pet Nutrition has received official registration from Austrian authorities to sell its cell-cultured petfood ingredients to European Union manufacturers. This approval makes BioCraft the first company authorised to provide cultured animal cells for petfood within the EU.
The approval allows BioCraft to produce petfood ingredients by multiplying animal cells, using Category 3 Animal Byproducts (ABP). The company has met the necessary safety requirements and registered with the EU Feed Material Register as a Feed Business Operator. This registration follows BioCraft’s submission of a comprehensive Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, which was developed with the help of veterinary and food safety experts.
BioCraft holds that their ingredients are produced using non-immortalised, non-genetically modified animal cells and are free from bacterial pathogens, viruses, molds, and heavy metals. The company claims its cultured ingredients offer a comparable nutrient profile to conventional meat slurry, with an improved omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
With this registration, BioCraft’s cultured protein can be used as a direct replacement for traditional meat slurry in both wet and dry petfood formulas. The company’s first product, derived from mouse cells, is designed to mimic the natural prey diet of cats and dogs.
Petfood manufacturers are closely watching the development of cultured petfood ingredients, with some, such as Partner in Pet Food, praising BioCraft’s HACCP plan for its focus on safety and nutritional quality. BioCraft’s approval marks a significant step in the adoption of sustainable, scalable, and ethical alternatives in petfood production.
