Cultured Animal Cell Pet Food – Truth about Pet Food

The FDA states cultured animal cell food products for human food and pet food are “expected to be ready for the market in the not too distant future.”

In a recent announcement, the FDA and USDA will jointly regulate foods made with cultured animal cells. Both agencies will oversee the cultured animal cell process, USDA will inspect the ‘meat’ product and pass (or fail) the product as USDA inspected and passed and FDA will oversee the labeling of the products in food and animal food.

The FDA describes the process of cultured animal cell food products as:

“There is a long history of scientific advances in biology, biochemistry, and engineering that have led to the innovations enabling the growth of animal cells outside of the animal itself, in a controlled environment, for food. The process, while complex, can be broadly summarized in a few steps.

Step 1: Scientists typically start with a sample of cells from the tissue of an animal, a process that typically does not permanently harm or kill the animal. Some cells from the sample are selected, screened, and grown to make a “bank” of cells to store for later use.

Step 2: To make food, a small number of cells are taken from the cell bank and placed in a tightly controlled and monitored environment (e.g. a very large sealed vessel) that supports growth and cellular multiplication by supplying appropriate nutrients and other factors.

Step 3: After the cells have multiplied many times over into billions or trillions of cells, additional factors (e.g., protein growth factors, new surfaces for cell attachment, additional nutrients) are added to the controlled environment to enable the cells to differentiate into various cell types and assume characteristics of muscle, fat, or connective tissue cells.

Step 4: Once the cells have differentiated into the desired type, the cellular material can be harvested from the controlled environment and prepared using conventional food processing and packaging methods.”

From the webinar held by both agencies we learned of a concern of the cultured animal cell products that FDA will allow into pet food/animal feed; “byproducts“. “FDA will oversee both cell culture and food processing, packaging, and labeling for all animal feeds incorporating cultured animal cells and their byproducts.” The FDA provided no explanation to what “byproducts” of the cultured animal cell animal food ingredients might consist of.

FDA explains that these cultured animal cell food products and by products must be “labeled truthfully“, however the agency does not provide us with information on what these products will be termed (such as ‘animal cell beef’ or ‘animal cell beef byproducts’).

We can safely assume that this new product will enter into the pet food market before it is available in human food. Will the safety of animal cell foods and byproducts be fully investigated and explained to pet food consumers prior to its use? And will the pet food or treat be properly labeled to inform the consumer? Or will pet owners be the last to be informed with pets becoming unknowing test subjects of these products?

How do you feel about lab grown meat in pet food?

Pet owners can read more from FDA about cultured animal cell food products at the links below:

https://www.fda.gov/food/workshops-meetings-webinars-food-and-dietary-supplements/overview-fda-and-usda-roles-and-responsibilities-cultured-animal-cell-human-and-animal-food-products

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/foods-made-cultured-animal-cells

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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