This Company Is Revolutionizing Pet Food With First-Ever 'Lab ... - One Green Planet

Lab-grown or “clean” meat has been in the news quite a bit in recent years. Companies such as Memphis Meats, SuperMeat, JUST (formerly known as Hampton Creek), and Mosa Meat are all working on developing the technology to grow meat in labs, without harming any animals. While they are some naysayers, lab-grown meat is here to stay, with one-third of the public saying they are in favor of the technology!

Given the popularity of lab-grown meat, what about lab-grown pet food for our beloved four-legged friends? It’s not really that far-fetched (pun intended)! Wild Earth, Inc., a biotech start-up out of Berkely, California recently announced that they are using cultured proteins to develop clean, high-quality, fully plant-based pet food.

It’s estimated that about 25-30 percent of meat’s environmental impact in the U.S. is attributed to pet food, but with Wild Earth’s technology, we could see sustainable change happen in the pet food industry.

So, how do you create lab-grown pet food, you ask? Wild Earth uses human-grade Koji, which is a popular fungus that can be renewably sourced. With this, they can create a range of proteins and carbohydrates, with varied textures and flavors. Wild Earth products and ingredients are sourced, formulated, and fully made in the U.S.

“Wild Earth will be the first to bring cultured protein and cultured meat products for dogs and cats to market, that are nutritious, humane, and without the devastating ecological impact of factory farming,” said Wild Earth CEO Ryan Bethencourt.

The product comes in a dry kibble format with wet, canned food still in development. The products will be priced similar to commercial pet foods and will be available in just three to four months via the company’s website!

Wild Earth, Inc. is already making a splash with investors including VegInvest, Stray Dog Capital, Felicis Ventures, Blue Horizon, Babel Ventures, EverHope Capital, Macro Ventures, and Aera VC. To stay up to date on Wild Earth, Inc., visit their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook to show your support. We can’t wait to watch Wild Earth, Inc. transform the pet food industry!

To learn more about the environmental impact of our food choices as well as trends and developments in the plant-based food space, check out our podcast #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias.