Meatly is a cultivated meat company which became the first in Europe to receive regulatory approval after gaining clearance to sell cultivated chicken for pet food in the UK last year. The company achieved this milestone with a team of ten after raising just £3.5 million.
Meatly also recently became the first company to be certified under C-Label, a new trademark for cultivated food products launched by V-Label. The certification aims to help consumers understand the production process behind cultivated meat, while enhancing trust and acceptance of cultivated products.
Owen Ensor is the CEO of Meatly; previously, he was a Bain consultant and ran an insect protein facility. We spoke to him to find out more about the company’s partnership with C-Label.
As the first company certified under C-Label, how do you see this certification impacting consumer confidence in Meatly’s cultivated pet food products? Do you expect it to be a key differentiator for your brand?
Certification ensures transparency and confidence with consumers. In a nascent industry such as cultivated meat, this is critical. Consumers want to know what they’re buying is what it says it is, and that the products are of the highest quality, safety, and ethical standards.
How does partnering with C-Label align with Meatly’s mission and branding strategy, especially as you prepare to roll out your cultivated chicken to British customers and their pets?
We’re always looking for ways to ensure our future customers are confident in our Meatly Chicken. We’re constantly highlighting how our product is nutritionally equivalent to traditionally reared chicken and contains all the necessary amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. At Meatly, we’ve created a safe, healthy, and ethical way to make cultivated meat. C-Label provides third-party verification of this and shows that consumers can put their trust in it.
What challenges did Meatly face in achieving C-Label certification, and what advantages do you believe it provides for your business in terms of market positioning and consumer trust?
We believe cultivated meat products must adhere to the most stringent health, safety, and ethical standards. The pioneering work of C-Label gives consumers the trust and knowledge that products are of the highest possible standards. We’re excited to be working with C-Label because we share the same core values. Therefore, it was straightforward for us to decide to partner with C-Label and adhere to their stringent requirements.
As an early adopter of C-Label certification, do you see Meatly playing a leadership role in advocating for standardized certification across the cultivated meat and pet food industry?
Meatly is leading a new wave of cultivated meat companies, with a complete focus on ensuring price parity whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality throughout our production. To help ensure we meet this goal, certifications like C-Label are important in guaranteeing consumers a high-quality product that they can believe in.
Looking ahead, how do you see certifications like C-Label shaping the future of the cultivated food industry? Do you believe it will accelerate the mainstream acceptance of cultivated products, both for humans and pets?
We’re edging closer towards a UK where cultivated meat is approved for both pets and humans. Once that happens, consumers will want assurance that this new innovative product is made with safeguards in place and transparency that gives them the confidence to purchase.
Developments such as the launching of C-Label will only help aid the mainstream acceptance of cultivated products, and it’s a positive sign of our modernizing food sector that we have the certifications already in place for cultivated meat. As the number of cultivated meat companies proliferates, we hope to set the standard for the industry, making sure that certified healthy, safe, and ethical meat is the norm across the industry.
