Cult Food Science Set to Begin FDA Feeding Trials for Cultivated Dog Treats Under Noochies! Brand

Cult Food Science subsidiary Further Foods will submit its design of feeding trials to the FDA later this month, in pursuit of regulatory approval for cultivated chicken for dogs.

Further Foods, a subsidiary of Canadian cellular agriculture platform Cult Food Science, is pursuing US regulatory clearance for cultivated pet food under the Noochies! brand.

The company will soon complete the design of the necessary feeding trials for the approval of dog treats containing cultivated chicken, and expects to submit the protocol to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this month.

Further Foods intends to begin the trials in Q4 once the FDA has approved its design. It hopes to receive the regulatory greenlight and launch its initial products early next year, Cult Food Science CEO Mitchell Scott told Green Queen.

How novel pet food feeding trials work

In the US, novel pet food sits under the same regulatory umbrella as feed ingredients. This is overseen by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, which also works in partnership with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent non-profit that sets standards for these ingredients in the US.

One of the ways to ensure that new ingredients are nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy for animals is to undertake feeding trials using guidelines designed by AAFCO.

Since the cultivated chicken in dog treats is a new ingredient without prior approval, Further Foods has partnered with veterinarian Dr Sarah Dodd to design a target animal safety (TAS) study. The goal is to establish that including cultivated chicken in future Noochies! formulations is safe and effective.

Once it submits the design protocol to the FDA, the federal regulator will respond within 45 days. “The next step after receiving feedback on our feeding trial design from the FDA will be to undertake the feeding trials,” said Scott.

The TAS study is designed to provide evidence that cultivated chicken is safe and useful for its intended purpose as a complementary source of protein in dog food. Under AAFCO guidelines, “adult maintenance” studies must include a minimum of eight dogs aged at least one, and the trial must last 26 weeks.

Further Foods’ design includes 30 healthy, adult dogs of different breeds and ages, who will either receive a control dose, test dose or high inclusion dose for the 26-week period. Among the parameters monitored are feed intake data, haematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, weight, faecal analysis, and digestibility factors.

If it meets the criteria – which state that there should be no signs of nutritional deficiency or toxicity, and the group average shouldn’t lose more than 10% of body weight, among others – then the food is classed as “complete and balanced”.

“There will be some additional work required after the approval, some of it can be done in parallel with the feeding trial,” said Scott.

Noochies! cultivated dog treats to cost the same as premium pet food

Cult Food Science claims Further Foods is the only company in consultation with the FDA about feeding trials for cultivated chicken dog treats.

“We believe that the implications of a successful trial could change the landscape of pet food as a whole,” Scott said in a statement. “The regulatory pathways have yet to be successfully navigated and as a result, this is not currently an option in North America. We are seeking to be a first mover in changing that and look forward to advancing this trial with Dr Sarah Dodd and the FDA.”

Dodd is part of the founding team of Friends & Family Pet Food Co., another cultivated pet food company that is currently developing white fish for cats with Umami Bioworks. Asked if there was any conflict of interest, Scott said: “My understanding is that Dr Dodd is involved with a large number of different pet-related companies.”

The cultivated dog treats will usher in a new era for Noochies!, which was launched by former Cult Food Science VP Joshua Errett (who is also a co-founder of Friends & Family) in 2019. It produces vegan dog and cat snacks using Cult Food Science’s patented Bmmune ingredient, a blend of nutritional yeast and fermented fungi.

In May, the parent company raised CAD$800,000 ($584,000) to expand the Noochies! lineup. “We are currently building out our sales and distribution network with the Noochies! line of vegan treats and plan on launching the cultivated products into that network,” confirmed Scott.

The cultivated dog treats will also contain the “proprietary blend of bioactive fermentation ingredients and nutritional yeast (Bmmune)” that can be found in the current vegan range. Further Foods is targeting an omnichannel approach instead of focusing purely on B2B or B2C, with Scott describing it as the “most effective way to build and scale a brand”.

“For the current Noochies line, we are able to scale quickly to meet demand and have no production constraints,” he said when asked about the cost and manufacturing challenges. “For this new line of products, we expect to be both profitable and priced in line with other premium alternatives from the outset.”

Cult Food Science’s announcement culminates what has been a seminal week for the cultivated pet food industry. On Wednesday, London-based Meatly announced it had received the regulatory go-ahead in the UK, a first for cultivated meat in Europe and for pet food globally. It aims to start selling cultivated chicken for dogs by the end of the year.