Italian pet food brand FORZA10 has launched Coolty Meat, a wet dog food containing cultivated meat, unveiled this week at Interzoo 2026 in Nuremberg. Developed in partnership with Belgian cultivated meat technology company BeneMeat, the product is described as the first complete dog food of its kind to reach the European market.
Coolty Meat contains 26% cultivated meat derived from murine (rodent) cells, chosen for their amino acid profile and low allergenic potential. The product is formulated as a monoprotein, hypoallergenic diet intended for dogs with food intolerances, and carries a dietetic designation under European PARNUT legislation, with a recommended initial feeding period of three to eight weeks.
Cells from small rodents
The choice of murine cells is deliberate. FORZA10 argues that the digestive physiology of domestic dogs is well-adapted to metabolizing proteins from small mammals, and that rodent protein presents a low risk of triggering adverse reactions while still meeting FEDIAF nutritional guidelines for adult dogs. The cultivated meat is produced without antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, or fetal bovine serum, and BeneMeat states its production process is entirely free from animal slaughter.
The cells are grown in bioreactors under sterile conditions, with the company claiming the resulting biomass is free from pathogens, heavy metals, and chemical additives. A life cycle assessment conducted by the Czech Technical University in Prague in 2024 found that cultivated meat can emit around 3.29 kg CO2 per kilogram, compared to approximately 31.65 kg CO2 for conventional European beef.
Palatability and commercial validation
Palatability testing returned a 9/10 acceptance rate, 10/10 long-term preference score, and a 9/10 overall palatability rating. For BeneMeat, the launch also serves as a proof point for its end-to-end production technology at commercial scale.
The pet food sector has become one of the more active areas for cultivated meat commercialization, in part because the regulatory pathway can be less complex than for human food. In the UK, Meatly received approval in 2024 for cultivated chicken in pet food, becoming the first such approval in Europe. FORZA10’s Coolty Meat represents a different entry point, focusing on a therapeutic niche — food intolerance management — rather than mainstream pet nutrition.
FORZA10, which has operated for over 30 years with a focus on dietetic pet food, frames the cultivated meat ingredient as a logical extension of its existing approach to alternative proteins.
“We know exactly what’s in it, and we know there’s nothing else in it,” the company stated in product documentation accompanying the launch.
