Pet food made from cultivated pork proves a sellout in Australia
It is the first time that pet food using cultivated meat has been offered for sale in Australia, and reflects a wider global trend.
Credit: Rogue Pet Training Bites with cultivated pork
It took just one week for an Australian startup to sell out its new range of dog treats made from cultivated pork.
This is the first time that cultivated meat for pets has hit shelves in Australia.
Marketed as Training Bites under the brand Rogue Pet, the treats comprise cultivated pork, oat flour, apples, sweet potatoes, and brewer’s yeast. Each 50g pack costs A$14.95 ($10.60).
The brand was launched by Melbourne-based startup Magic Valley, which has been developing cultivated meat for the past six years. It hopes that the success of Rogue Pet will demonstrate public demand for cultivated meat in Australia.
“We see pet food as a compelling entry point for cultivated meat,” said its CEO, Paul Bevan. “Pet owners care deeply about quality, ethics, and sustainability, and many are already looking for better ways to feed their animals.”
This is supported by a recent global poll, which revealed that 54 percent of consumers are happy to pay a premium on eco-friendly products for their pets. In Australia, nearly three in four households own a pet, with dog ownership increasing to 49 percent between 2019 and 2025.
To create its cultivated pork, Rogue Pet takes a small sample of skin cells from a living pig, without harm. These cells are then grown in a bioreactor, with water, amino acids, and other nutrients, and harvested after a few weeks. The resulting product, says Rogue Pet, has the same nutritional profile, taste, and texture as conventional pork.
Credit: Rogue Pet Training Bites with cultivated pork
According to the startup, its cultivated meat process can reduce land use by 95 percent, emissions by 92 percent, and water use by 78 percent compared to conventional meat.
It is no surprise, then, that other countries are also approving lab-grown pet foods. Last year, Singapore became the first Asian country to stock cultivated meat for cats and dogs. And earlier this year, cultivated chicken treats for dogs were launched in Pets at Home, the UK’s largest pet retailer.
Magic Valley, which received A$100,000 from the Australian government last year is now raising more capital. This will “support scale-up across manufacturing capability, team growth, regulatory work, and commercial expansion across both Rogue Pet and Magic Valley’s broader cultivated meat platform,” says Bevan.
Czech-based Bene Meat Technologies and Singaport’s Umami Bioworks are among the startups also making cultivated meat for animals as well as humans.
While it’s not for retail sale just yet, cultivated chicken for humans has been showcased in the US at tasting events (see what Species Unite founder Elizabeth Novogratz thought here).
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