VIENNA — BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a supplier of animal cell-cultured ingredients, announced results from an independent feeding trial comparing its cell-cultured cat treat to a top lickable cat treat on the market. In tests involving 40 cats, the BioCraft treat performed on par with Applaws Chicken Creamy Lickable Treats — there was no statistical preference between the two products, according to the company.

“Palatability has been one of the hardest hurdles for animal cell-cultured ingredients to clear,” the company said. “The industry has spent years building its case on safety, sustainability and nutrition, but a manufacturer’s first question is usually simpler: will a pet actually eat it?”

The feeding trial was performed by German market research firm Regionales-Produkt-Panel (RPP). During the trial, RPP employees served their cats 30-gram servings of the BioCraft product and Applaws product side-by-side.

“Going into this test, we purposely wanted to measure ourselves against one of the most trusted treats that cats actually love,” said Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer BioCraft Pet Nutrition. “Seeing cats split their first bites right down the middle, with no statistically meaningful preference either way, tells us our new cell-cultured lickable treat can already compete on taste, not just on safety and sustainability.” 

Results showed no statistically significant difference in overall preference between the two products. Of the 40 cats evaluated, 19 consumed more of the Applaws treat, 17 ate more of BioCraft’s formulation and four consumed equal amounts. First-bite preference was tied, with cats selecting each product first 50% of the time.

“Our earliest palatability trials with the ingredient transparently didn’t go very well,” Falconer said. “We didn’t want to mask off-notes with the palatants already on the market, so instead we identified what was causing the poor palatability, removed it, and then found the components that would synergize with our ingredient to bring out its natural, tasty notes, making the final product irresistible to the feline nose.”

BioCraft formulated its lickable treat recipe by combining its mouse cell-cultured ingredient with other regulatory-approved, clean-label, animal-free components to create the complete, ready-to-market lickable treat. Pet food manufacturers can launch the formulation under their own brands or use it as a starting point for additional product development, reducing the time and R&D typically needed to bring cell-cultured ingredients to market.

Read more about the latest advancements in cultivated meat in pet nutrition.