Pet food company Bond Pet Foods announced a partnership with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to develop products for cats and dogs based on Bond's technology.

Bond combines precision fermentation with genetic recombination to produce chicken, beef, fish, and other meat proteins that are identical to those from animals. The genetic code is extracted from the live animal and implanted in food-grade yeast, which ferments in large tanks, producing meat proteins that are identical to those from animals. 

Bond was founded in 2015 and is backed by leading venture funds in the food-tech and alternative protein space including Lever VC, Agronomics and KBW Ventures.

The partnership with Hill's is poised to accelerate its meat protein portfolio development. It also marks an important advancement, as the pet food industry champions new technologies to provide more sustainable ingredient solutions for pet nutrition.

"Hill's Pet Nutrition has a long history of using science to transform the lives of pets. This collaboration will allow us to explore how we can deliver the precise, balanced nutrition Hill's is known for but in new and innovative ways," said Hill's Vice President Dave Baloga. "We are keenly interested in exploring additional ways to take a science-first approach to pet nutrition. This alternative protein source marks a step forward on our sustainability journey to use science to help provide the best possible care for pets - for today and tomorrow."

The sustainability of proteins for pet food is not something consumers tend to consider, but it's quickly becoming a serious environmental issue. According to a 2017 estimate, pet food accounts for a quarter of the environmental impacts of meat production.

“We're excited to leverage our technology to develop new, transformative meat proteins for Hill's portfolio,” said Rich Kelleman, Founder and CEO of Bond Pet Foods. "Together, we'll be able to reimagine meat-based nutrition for the world's dogs and cats.”

To learn more about Bond Pet Foods, visit their website: bondpets.com