The Pack and MicroHarvest conquer the UK

British animal-free pet food brand The Pack and German biotech start-up MicroHarvest announce the launch of Gut Bites, a dog snack containing microbial protein, on the British market.

The innovative, plant-based, oven-baked Gut Bites combine MicroHarvest's microbial protein content with The Pack's high-quality, allergy-friendly recipe. This collaboration is one of the first opportunities for British pet owners to purchase a ready-made product containing microbial protein, a groundbreaking ingredient produced using sustainable fermentation technology.

Katelijne Bekers, CEO of MicroHarvest, comments: ‘36% of British households own a dog, and the British market for cat and dog food is worth around 3.9 bn dollars per year. Entering this market is therefore an important step in our expansion. For us, however, this collaboration is about more than just scaling up; it's about validation.’

MicroHarvest's protein is produced from agricultural by-products through fermentation and requires no additional land, pesticides or fertilisers. According to the company, its carbon footprint is more than 90% lower than that of beef and significantly lower than that of plant-based protein.

The market launch builds on MicroHarvest's 2024 partnership with the German company Vegdog, which saw Pure Bites become the first European dog snack containing microbial protein to hit the market. With The Pack, the UK is now set to become an early market for this next-generation protein solution alongside Germany.