Ghent University Study Shows Good Acceptance and Digestibility of BeneMeat’s Cultivated Meat in Domestic Cats
A scientific study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science demonstrated that a complete feline diet containing cultivated meat from BeneMeat was well accepted and digested by domestic cats. Conducted in collaboration with Ghent University, the study focused on acceptance and digestibility of this novel pet food ingredient.
A new scientific article focused on a feeding trial in domestic cats has been published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The study, conducted in collaboration between Ghent University and BeneMeat, evaluated the acceptance and digestibility of a complete feline diet containing cultivated meat provided by BeneMeat.
The study results demonstrated very good acceptance of the tested diet in domestic cats. Optimal acceptance was observed in 9 out of 10 cats, with significantly lower leftovers reported for the diet containing cultivated meat compared to the control diet based on food-grade chicken. The study also showed comparable protein and fat digestibility between both diets, stable body and muscle condition in cats, and optimal fecal consistency throughout the trial. According to the authors, the findings suggest that cultivated meat may represent a well-accepted, adequately digestible, and well-tolerated ingredient for pet nutrition.
“This study represents an important step in evaluating cultivated ingredients for pet nutrition under standardized feeding conditions. The results confirm very good acceptance and digestibility of the tested ingredient in cats in comparison with the control diet,” said Simone Stringhetti, Clinical Studies coordinator at BeneMeat, who coordinated the study on behalf of the company.
“This study provides an early contribution to a broader research effort. While further studies are needed, the results so far are encouraging and highlight the potential of cultivated meat for pet food applications,” added Federica Bortolazzi, lead author of the study from Ghent University.
The study was conducted through a collaboration between researchers from Ghent University and BeneMeat. The article was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The results were also presented at the SCIVAC veterinary conference in Rimini, Italy.
The full article is available here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1781530/full
Cultivated meat
Cultivated meat, also known as cultured meat or cell-based meat, is real animal meat produced by directly growing animal cells in a controlled environment instead of raising and slaughtering animals. The process begins with a small sample of animal cells, which are nourished with essential nutrients and guided to form muscle, fat, and connective tissue, replicating natural biological growth. The result is meat that is biologically identical to conventional meat but can be produced more sustainably, with lower environmental impact and improved animal welfare. A term Cultivated meat refers to meat (including muscle cells, fat cells, connective tissue, blood, and other components) produced by cultivating animal cells, not by slaughtering a live animal. (Source: New Harvest – a research institute that aims to accelerate progress in cellular agriculture).
BeneMeat
BeneMeat is a biotech company, part of the BTL Group, focused on developing scalable and efficient cultivated meat production technology. Since 2020, the company has developed deep, end-to-end expertise across biology, chemistry, hardware, software, and commercial implementation of cultivated meat. With 150+ R&D experts, BeneMeat is building the complete technological ecosystem, from versatile cell line development to scalable, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing solutions. The company is prepared to support manufacturers through all the key challenges of bringing cultivated meat to market: technical, legal, regulatory, and commercial. BeneMeat is the first in the EU to be registered as a producer of cultivated meat for pet food (Autumn 2023), proving our regulatory leadership in this space. “We are not just another company in cultivated meat, we are the technology partner shaping its future.”
For more information, contact: media@benemeat.com