BioCraft Pet Nutrition has received official registration from Austrian authorities, allowing it to sell its cultivated mouse meat to pet food manufacturers across the European Union. The approval marks a major step forward for the Delaware-based startup, which operates a lab in Vienna and specializes in alternative proteins for pets.
The registration permits BioCraft to use Category 3 animal byproducts (ABPs) in its facility, a legal requirement for selling animal-derived ingredients in pet food within the EU. The company has also registered with the EU Feed Materials Register and fulfilled its obligations as a Feed Business Operator.
“This doesn’t mean our ingredient is approved as a product,” explained BioCraft CEO and co-founder Shannon Falconer. “Rather, the facility producing the ingredient has been registered to produce animal byproducts for pet food.”
BioCraft’s cultivated mouse meat is grown from a stable, non-genetically modified cell line in a sterile, animal-free nutrient broth. The result is a safe, high-protein ingredient rich in omega fatty acids and key nutrients, made specifically for pet food use.
Before receiving approval, the company underwent three years of rigorous testing to ensure safety. This included full genetic profiling, toxicology reviews, nutritional assessments, and the creation of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, which is legally required to sell feed materials in the EU.
Independent experts in veterinary science, food safety, and nutrition helped validate the product. Tests confirmed the ingredient is free from bacterial pathogens, viruses, molds, mycotoxins, yeasts, heavy metals, and biogenic amines. BioCraft also verified traceability, supplier vetting, and risk control procedures at every step of production.
“This goes well beyond basic regulatory compliance,” said Falconer. “Our safety protocols are among the most detailed in the industry, ensuring transparency and the highest quality standards in alternative protein production.”
The company, formerly known as Because Animals, has raised $6.7 million in funding and originally targeted early 2026 for market entry. However, this regulatory milestone opens the door for a potential earlier launch. Major pet food manufacturer Partner in Pet Food (PPF) is now in discussions with BioCraft about future collaboration.
“There is strong demand for ingredients that are stable, ethical, and scalable,” said PPF’s Quality and Product Development Director, Patricia Heydtmann. “Producers are closely watching the growth of cultivated meat in the pet sector.”
BioCraft joins a growing field of companies pushing into the cultivated pet food space. Czech firm Bene Meat Technologies was the first to register a cultivated pet food ingredient in the EU in 2023, using a fermentation-based process. Other startups like Cult Food Science and Friends & Family Pet Food Co are pursuing regulatory approval in the US and Singapore.
Meanwhile, the UK has made significant strides. London-based startup Meatly became the first to sell cultivated meat in UK pet food, launching dog treats made with lab-grown chicken in partnership with vegan pet brand The Pack.
With approvals now underway in both the UK and EU, and global interest on the rise, cultivated pet food is quickly moving from concept to commercial reality.
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