Novel protein pet food company Omni, recently developed the world’s first complete cat food made with lab-grown chicken, it’s been named ‘Omni Feast, Chicken Revolution’ and is being hailed as the ethical feed solution of the future.
The vet-founded company wants to recruit willing feline taste testers, to ensure the product tastes at least as good as traditional meat-based cat foods, which typically rely heavily on animal agriculture and intensive livestock farming.
The pet food industry is thought to account for up to 20% of global meat consumption according to a study by UCLA.
Successful applicants will be asked to record their experience of introducing Omni’s new cruelty free chicken meals to their cat, monitoring their feeding rituals, energy levels, behaviour, bowel movements, sleep pattern and physical attributes such as weight, skin and fur condition.
Dr. Guy Sandelowksy, Omni’s vet founder, comments that ‘The product will be nutritionally sound and could even confer certain health benefits for cats’.
He expects lots of people to come forward to be “part of history” and is offering to compensate the most enthusiastic candidates £ 5,000 a month to ensure the role is fulfilled professionally and the data is reliable.
Omni will also cover all food expenses for the job duration.
Candidates willing to provide pictures and videos and detailed feedback will be especially sought after.
The vet, who has until now focused on creating novel protein products specifically for dogs, said: “The meat industry as we know it today simply isn’t sustainable with the amount of land, water and carbon it consumes. So we need credible alternative solutions for cats too.”
Unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores and seem to need certain nutrients that can only be found in animal tissues, prompting him to look for a product which gave the benefits of real chicken but was healthy, ethical and better for the environment.
Dr Guy developed the vet-formulated food after treating many pets with medical conditions such as obesity and arthritis, during almost 10 years of working as a vet.
In his view, cultivated meat is a game-changer as it can be optimised to be rich in nutrients that cats need to thrive like protein, certain fats, vitamins and minerals, without some of the less desirable components that can be found in meat.
He said: “Lab-grown meat is still giving you all the good stuff but without any antibiotic residues and other chemicals that have historically been found in mass-produced meat products.
“It’s the pet industry equivalent moment of being the first one to use the internet.
“And it’s more ethical because you don’t have to slaughter millions of animals which most people would agree is only a good thing.”
From an environmental perspective, the meat is grown in vertical vats, so it doesn’t require the same amount of grazing space, water or feed as livestock. There is also no need to slaughter the animals in the end, making it better from an ethical perspective.
Dr Guy said: “This is why I believe it is a way to future-proof the way we feed cats without having to sacrifice what they need and enjoy.”
The product uses fast-growing chicken protein which is placed into a vat that controls the temperature and pH balance.
Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are then added to help the cells grow before being harvested and cut into meaty chunks which form the cat food.
To apply please visit https://omni.pet/blogs/news/cattastetesterapply and fill in your details.
