More than a quarter of the environmental effects of animal agriculture is due to the pet food industry, hence cultivated meat holds the promise of satisfying pets while promoting environmental sustainability and lowering greenhouse gases. Plant-based meats, meat analogues, edible insects/worms, and cell-based cultivated meat can be major meat alternatives in our food supply as well as in pet foods. But unlike cultivated meat for humans, there are fewer barriers to acceptance in the pet food world – as much as we love our feline and canine family members, people are more willing to give cats and dogs a more novel ingredient than eat it themselves. So, might addressing the technical difficulties of mass production, cost of product development, quality control and palatability, legal and regulatory guidance – the current key impediments for the pet food industry – advance progress for human-consumed foods?

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