Lab-grown meat, which is genetically indistinguishable from traditionally produced meat, has proved a divisive topic in some countries.

In 2020, Singapore became the first country to authorise the sale of cell-cultivated meat for human consumption, followed by the United States three years later.

However, Italy and the US states of Alabama and Florida have instituted bans.

Advocates point to environmental benefits, while critics say cultivated meat is expensive and could harm farming.

Prof Guy Poppy, from the University of Bristol, said it addressed concerns over animal welfare.

The former chief scientific adviser at the government’s Food Standards Agency added: “This is an opportunity to offer the advantages of meat but without the carbon and environmental footprint.”

Prof Andrew Knight, from the University of Winchester, said: “About 20% of all the meat that is consumed by high pet-owning nations – and that would include the United Kingdom – is actually consumed by pets not people.”