TORONTO — CULT Food Science Corp. announced April 20 the reintroduction of a freeze-dried, cultured protein pet nutrition line, Noochies!, to the market. The public debut includes complete-and-balanced food for dogs, treats and supplements for dogs and cats, and a revamped website to help educate consumers and connect with retailers.

The Noochies! brand and a key ingredient used in its formulations, Bmmune™, were previously owned by Because Animals. The company discontinued its nutritional yeast-based products in late 2022 and recently agreed to sell provisional patents for those discontinued products to the company’s former co-founder Joshua Errett, now vice president of product development at CULT.

Because Animals has retained all intellectual property related to its production of cultured meat, while CULT Food Science acquired consumer brand assets, related patents, non-scientific intellectual property and product formulations from Because Animals, including the Noochies! brand and Bmmune.

Bmmune is a patent-pending blend of nutritional yeast offering functional benefits, according to CULT, including improved gut health, digestion and immune system support, as well as cognitive, arterial and heart support.

Alongside Bmmune, CULT announced the Noochies! brand will also incorporate another proprietary probiotic called Bflora™. The probiotic ingredient consists of four strains of gut-healthy bacteria paired with probiotic yeast to positively influence dogs’ and cats’ gastrointestinal systems.

Source: CNW Group/CULT Food Science Corp.

The Noochies! line will include Dinner and Breakfast Food, a complete-and-balanced dog diet that is free from meat- and animal-based ingredients. The diet, which is formulated with Bmmune, offers immune system benefits, according to CULT.

Noochies! Dog and Cat Treats are formulated with koji and nutritional yeast, which come together to deliver essential B vitamins and high protein value in a treat format. According to CULT, the treats are designed to support immune, digestive and heart health, and can be used for treating as well as training.

Supplement products under the Noochies! line will be sold under the Sprinkles brand. Noochies! Sprinkles are formulated with both Bmmune and Bflora and are designed to be “sprinkled” onto a pet’s regular food for digestion and immune system benefits.

All three product groups are freeze-dried through a patent-pending process to preserve nutrients through extrusion and optimize their absorption.

CULT expects the first Noochies! products to become available in the third quarter of 2023. The brand will initially focus on direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales in the United States, and will follow up with online marketplace partnerships before venturing in-store in Canada.

“I am excited for the launch of Noochies! pet food,” said Lejjy Gafour, chief executive officer of CULT. “Every consumer deserves more choice for their pets that maintains a high standard of nutrition.”

The principal assets of the Noochies! brand and its products are currently subject to a letter of intent (LOI) between Errett and Further Foods Inc., a subsidiary of CULT Food Science. Per the LOI, Further Foods will acquire those assets from Errett. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and “will not constitute a fundamental change or result in a change of control of the company,” according to CULT. Errett and Further Foods are finalizing the transaction and expect to announce its closing in the near future.

“With our Noochies! brand, we've proven that premium pet nutrition and environmental sustainability don't have to be mutually exclusive,” Errett said.

The launch of Noochies! follows several recent announcements by CULT, including two partnerships that will enable the company to bolster its portfolio of cell-based pet food. On April 6, the company announced an MOU with Umami Meats, which will supply CULT with cultivated red snapper for use in its Marina Cat treat brand. On April 11, the company entered a partnership with JellaTech to create a line of collagen-enhanced pet food products under CULT’s Indiana Pets brand.

Read more about product development, ingredients and formulation.