Ethical “mouse mousse”

Biocraft Pet Nutrition, according to its own information, the first biotech company to develop animal cell-cultured ingredients for the pet food market from Austria, and Prefera Petfood, a specialist in premium natural wet pet food production from Romania, in April announced a partnership to commercialize a hypoallergenic, nutritionally complete cat food made almost entirely from cell-cultured mouse.

The partnership’s debut product, a “mouse mousse”, is based on Biocraft’s animal cell-cultured ingredient that not only provides the basic nutrients essential for cats and dogs, but offers additional functional advantages for pet health, including a hypoallergenic protein source and an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio that is superior to traditional meat, the companies said in a press release.

Simply put: it’s real meat that’s not only designed to meet the dietary needs of cats and dogs, but is also produced in a sparkling clean environment, keeping your pets safe from contaminants, Biocraft explains. This forthcoming product for cats leverages Biocraft’s unique cell-culture process to create functional and environmentally sustainable food that is identical to their natural small prey diet, says the manufacturer.

“Achieving a near 100 percent inclusion level of an animal cell-cultured ingredient for a final product is a game-changer for the pet food industry,” said Dr. Shannon Falconer, founder and CEO of Biocraft, formerly named Because, Animals. “Most cellular agriculture initiatives struggle to reach high inclusion levels of their ingredient in a final product; however, low inclusion levels don’t accomplish the objective of reducing our reliance on intensive animal agriculture.“

Prefera has understood this, according to Falconer, and with Biocraft’s cell-cultured ingredient has overcome this challenge. Now that the EU has greenlit Bio­craft sales of animal cell-cultured ingredients, it’s signed its first deal with Prefera. “As a company committed to the highest standards of safety and quality, using only real, identifiable ingredients without artificial additives or preservatives, our partnership with Biocraft helps us innovate in ways that benefit both pets and the environment,” said Nicola ­Magalini, general manager of Prefera Petfood, founded in early 2024 by a team of industry veterans, beginning with the acquisition of a factory originally designed for human food production. That was transformed into a specialized pet food manufacturing facility what allows to operate with human-grade standards, says the company.

Biocraft founder Falconer says: “This innovative collaboration marks a significant milestone in functional, sustainable and ancestrally-appropriate pet nutrition.” Finally, real meat can be ethical, sustainable and safe, according to her. “The future of the pet food industry is finally here.” Early palatability tests have demonstrated exceptional acceptance rates among cats, with taste trials showing strong preference for cell-cultured mouse mousse over conventional alternatives. “Cats are notoriously selective eaters, so we’re thrilled with the enthusiastic reception,” said Magalini. “It’s clear that our feline friends can’t tell the difference – except perhaps that they prefer it.”

Third-party profiling of over 100 nutrients confirmed Biocraft’s animal-cell cultured ingredients offer a highly similar nutritional profile as standard “meat slurry” currently used by pet food manufacturers, with comparable levels of key nutrients, such as taurine, lysine, methionine and tryptophan. Bio­craft’s ingredients have been validated to be free of bacterial pathogens, viruses including retroviruses, mycotoxins, moulds, and yeasts; free of biogenic amines (natural compounds produced by living cells that can have negative health effects when present at high concentrations); and free of heavy metals. Ingredients are produced using stable, non-immortalized, non-genetically modified animal cells.

The companies officially debuted product samples in Bologna at Zoomark International. Biocraft expects to begin producing initial commercial volumes of its ingredient by the end of 2025, with “mouse mousse” to follow. Prefera products are sold primarily in Europe.  

Biocraft Pet Nutrition was founded in 2016 from its founder’s love of both science and animals. Falconer left her post-doctoral research fellowship at Stanford University in the service of a bigger goal. She turned down a prestigious academic scholarship to put her scientific mind to improving the lives of all animals, from those being farmed to those we share our homes with.

Her solution: better nutrition for cats and dogs that doesn’t come at the expense of other animals or the health of our planet. Biocraft is led by Falconer, a bio­chemist-turned-entrepreneur, and a seasoned finance professional: Arin Basu, Fractional Chief Financial Officer.

Located in both North America and Europe, Biocraft Pet Nutrition is incorporated in Delaware, USA, and its subsidiary company, Biocraft Pet Nutrition GmbH, performs R&D in Austria.