VIENNA — BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a producer of cultivated meat ingredients for use in pet food, announced it has achieved price parity with premium traditional meat. By re-imagining the manufacturing process to develop cultivated meat, BioCraft’s ingredient now touts a sales price of $2.00 to $2.50 per pound, making it more competitive with traditional premium meat ingredients used in pet food formulas, according to the company.
Cultivated meat products, like those from BioCraft, are developed by growing animal cells in similar vessels that are used in brewing and yogurt making. This process offers various benefits, according to BioCraft, including customization of the meat’s nutritional profile, production under sterile conditions and eliminating harm to animals. Additionally, cultivated meat carries a litany of sustainability benefits compared to traditional meat — cultivated meat uses less land and water and creates less emissions.
With consumer demand for pet food ever-increasing, the industry is forced to push out more products while also facing major supply chain issues, especially when it comes to proteins. According to BioCraft, the strained meat supply chain has caused pet food companies major supply and cost issues. To help alleviate this, many in the industry have turned to alternative protein ingredients, from plant-based options to insects to cultivated meat. Alternative proteins are also gaining attention from pet parents for their environmental, animal welfare and nutritional benefits.
Though the demand and need for cultivated meat is there, the price point turns many away. According to BioCraft, the major barrier in the commercial use of cultivated meat in pet food products is price, which has been several times higher than that of traditional meat, making it unsustainable for pet food companies. This is specifically what BioCraft has worked on through the development of its cultivated meat ingredients.
To achieve price parity with premium meats while also offering a robust nutritional profile, the company lasered in on its manufacturing process. In creating its cultivated meat, the nutrient-rich growth medium in which the cells are grown is often discarded. BioCraft has leveraged this medium to provide a nutritious part of its final product, which now more closely aligns with the nutrients found in traditional, animal-based meats. In addition to its nutritional benefits, this approach involves zero waste of the nutrient inputs, allowing BioCraft to lower the price.
“We see this as a breakthrough moment for cultivated meat for pet food,” said Shannon Falconer, founder and chief executive officer of BioCraft. “Achieving price parity and a robust nutritional profile for pets were the only elements holding back cultivated meat for the pet food industry — and BioCraft has now achieved both.”
With this development, BioCraft expects to have its cultivated meat ingredients in pet foods on retail shelves in early 2026.
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