Friends & Family Petfood Company has secured regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat-based petfood in Singapore, making it the first company in Asia to achieve this milestone. The approval, granted by Singapore’s Animal & Veterinary Services (AVS) in June, allows the company to start producing treats for cats and dogs this fall.
“Part of the Friends & Family mission is not simply to replace the protein in the petfood supply chain, but to improve the underlying protein cats and dogs eat,” said Joshua Errett, CEO and founder of the company. He emphasised that cultivated meat can be optimised to enhance nutrient levels, including taurine, and improve digestibility.
The initial products will be freeze-dried treats featuring human-grade cultivated poultry. They pay homage to traditional Kampung birds, which are free-range poultry used for meat in Southeast Asia, notes the company. These products will be free from antibiotics, hormones, and other additives common in factory farming.
“This is a big step for the cultivated meat industry, and for Singapore, which soon will be the only place in the world where you can buy your cat or dog a cultivated treat,” added Maurice Yeo, COO of Friends & Family.
The treats also include prebiotic fibres to support gut health and a second variant enriched with trace minerals and essential vitamins to promote longer lifespans for pets, the company claims.
On the sustainability front, cultivated meat treats are estimated to produce around 90% less greenhouse gas emissions per unit compared to conventional beef-based treats, requiring significantly less land and water than traditional livestock farming.
