CULT Food Science announced that its subsidiary, Further Foods, expects to complete the design of feeding trials necessary for regulatory approval of dog food products containing cell-cultivated chicken and submit it to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this month.
Cell-cultivated chicken is a new ingredient without prior approval for animal consumption and Further Foods is, in partnership with Dr. Sarah Dodd, designing a target animal safety (TAS) study to establish the inclusion of cell-cultivated chicken in future Noochies! formulations is safe and effective. Further Foods intends to begin the feeding trials in the fourth quarter of this year once the FDA is satisfied with the design of the protocol.
As far as the company is aware, Further Foods is the only company in dialogue with the FDA about feeding trials for a cultivated chicken dog treat, said Mitchell Scott, CEO of CULT Food Science.
"We believe this FDA feeding trial will position us on the leading edge of cellular agriculture and cultivated meat innovation," said Scott. "But even more importantly, we believe that the implications of a successful trial could change the landscape of pet food as a whole. Cultivated meat has nutritional benefits, environmental benefits and ethical benefits for pet owners. But the regulatory pathways have yet to be successfully navigated and as a result, this is not currently an option in North America. We are seeking to be a first mover in changing that and look forward to advancing this trial in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Dodd and the FDA."
The study design
Further Foods is designing a TAS study to provide evidence that cell-cultivated chicken is safe and useful for its intended purpose as a complimentary protein source in dog food products. The 26-week, minimally invasive feeding study will feature 30 healthy, adult dogs of a variety of breeds and ages receiving one of: control dose, test dose and high inclusion dose. Feed intake data, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, weight, fecal analysis and digestibility factors will be monitored to ensure the inclusion of cell-cultivated meat is safe for the animals.
"I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Further Foods and Noochies! on this very exciting feeding trial," said Dr. Dodd. "Cultivated meat is an area I am personally exceptionally excited about, for both its nutritional potential for animals and for its positive impact on the environment. I look forward to navigating the regulatory pathways and feeding trial requirements with the FDA and advancing this first of its kind trial forward.”
According to Petfood Industry's Pet Food Product Database, CULT Food Science is a disruptive food technology platform pioneering the commercialization of lab grown meat and cellular agriculture to reshape the global food industry. CULT’s robust portfolio of investments in cutting-edge, venture-backed cellular agriculture and lab-grown meat companies provides widespread investor access to the future of food.
