2026/05/21 by Federica Bortolazzi, Simone Stringhetti, Myriam Hesta · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Animal Nutrition and Physiology #Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact #Meat and Animal Product Quality
paper · doi:10.3389/fvets.2026.1781530
openalex publication_date 2026/05/21 · openalex created_date 2026/05/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
In response to the challenges posed by a growing human and pet population and the climate crisis, novel ingredients such as cultivated meat have emerged as promising solutions to address concerns related to sustainability, ethics and food security. However, data on its nutritional performance and suitability for use in animal nutrition remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the acceptance and apparent total tract digestibility (AD) of a complete feline diet containing cultivated hamster cell biomass as the sole animal-derived ingredient, compared to a control diet based on chicken breast meat. A two-day, double-blinded, cross-over acceptance test was conducted on 10 adult research cats. Subsequently, eight of these cats were enrolled in a double-blinded, cross-over digestibility trial. Each cat received both the test and control diet for a 7–12 day adaptation period, followed by 5 days of fecal collection. The diets were identical in ingredient composition except for the protein source and were formulated to achieve comparable nutritional profiles. Celite® (acid-insoluble ash) was added as an indigestible marker to calculate AD using an indicator method. Cats were closely monitored for clinical signs. Body weight, body and muscle condition score were assessed weekly, and total food intake was recorded for each meal. Acceptance was optimal in 9 out of 10 cats, with minimal food leftovers. AD results were comparable between diets, except for protein digestibility which was significantly higher in the control diet (85.3 ± 1.6% vs. 83.9 ± 1.2%; p -value: 0.033). Interestingly, leftovers were significantly lower for the test diet (2.4 ± 3.3% vs. 8.5 ± 7.8%; p -value: 0.025), despite its lower inclusion of palatability enhancer compared to the control diet (1.5 vs. 10 g/kg). Fecal consistency was overall in the ideal range throughout the trial and both diets were well tolerated during the feeding period of up to 17 days. These findings suggest that the cultivated hamster cell biomass tested is well accepted by cats and adequately digestible for use in feline diets. Further research is warranted to explore its impact on palatability and to assess long-term health outcomes in cats.