20th January 2024 Israel becomes third country to approve sale of lab‑grown meat Aleph Farms, an Israeli food technology company founded in 2017, has been granted regulatory approval for "Aleph Cuts", the world's first cultivated beef steaks to be commercially saleable.
Cultured, or 'lab-grown' meat, has been around for over a decade now. A team in London first introduced the concept to the world in 2013, during an event where they cooked and tasted a burger with a price tag of £250,000 ($384,000). Since then, the costs have plummeted by orders of magnitude. New techniques continue to improve the appearance, texture, and flavour – while also expanding the range of available meat categories. This includes fish, in addition to poultry, pork, and various cuts of beef. More than 150 companies are now involved in research and development, as demand for sustainable and ethically produced meat alternatives rises globally. But although much technical progress has been achieved in laboratory settings, the journey towards widespread market acceptance and consumer adoption of cultured meat faces its own set of challenges. One of the most significant hurdles is regulatory approval. Until now, only two countries had allowed the commercial sale of cultured meat. The Singapore Food Agency gave the green light in December 2020 to a company called Eat Just, making its "GOOD Meat" chicken available to consumers in the city-state. Meanwhile, the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the safety of UPSIDE Foods' chicken in November 2022 and granted full approval in June 2023. An Israeli company called SuperMeat opened a restaurant in November 2020 offering meat grown directly from chicken cells. However, this has remained at the development stage, functioning as a "test" kitchen where visitors can observe the production process, rather than a commercial operation. But another company has now leapt ahead, making Israel the third country to allow sales of cultured meat. Israel's Ministry of Health (MoH) has just approved a cultivated beef steak called "Aleph Cuts", developed by Aleph Farms. Since the aforementioned products in Singapore and the United States have been derived from chicken cells, this also becomes the world's first cultivated beef steak to be commercially saleable.
According to a scientific paper and the company's website, bovine embryonic stem cells are first used as a starting material. These are derived from a premium Black Angus cow named Lucy, who lived on a breeding farm in California until she passed away in June 2022. The cells are grown in cellular aggregates in suspension without microcarriers. They are then added to a plant-based scaffold made of soy and wheat, where they continue to grow and differentiate into muscle, fat, and connective tissues. No genetic modification takes place, no antibiotics are used, and no additional cows are required after the one-time collection obtained from Lucy. In this clean, highly-controlled environment, a whole steak can be grown in just four weeks. "This announcement marks a critical leap in the global race to make meat that people love, in a way that's better for our climate, biodiversity, and food security," said Bruce Friedrich, Founder and President of The Good Food Institute. "Congratulations to the team at Aleph Farms on becoming the third company in the world to secure regulatory approval for cultivated meat and the first for a cultivated beef product. We're thrilled that consumers in Israel will soon be able, like those in the US and Singapore, to purchase these delicious products." "Aleph Farms is undoubtedly one of the flagship companies leading Israel's alternative protein market, and a world leader in its field," said Ronit Eshel, from the Israel Innovation Authority. "These advanced products carry much anticipation, due to the expected shortage of food, and much due to their positive effect on the climate in terms of carbon emissions, along with the sensitivity to animals. This is a historic day and we are proud to take part in the success." "The entire Aleph team has united in strength and determination to deliver no matter what during these difficult times in Israel," said Didier Toubia, the CEO and Co-Founder of Aleph Farms. "We are excited to carry this resilience forward in the form of innovation in agriculture and food security. We believe that addressing joint challenges like food security is the best way to ensure the prosperity of the Middle East and other parts of the world that rely heavily on food imports, especially in Asia. On behalf of our entire team, I would like to thank the Ministry of Health, the Israel Innovation Authority and all the other involved government agencies for their commitment to advance the first cultivated beef product in the world. Now more than ever, Aleph Farms remains committed to making the world a better place." Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson has partnered with Aleph Farms as an investor, culinary advisor, and launch partner. The product's rollout will likely be connected to restaurants he is affiliated with. As well as Israel, the company has applied for regulatory approval in Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The global market for cultured meat, currently valued at $2.3 billion, is predicted to experience major growth in the years ahead. Consulting firm Kearney believes that it could see a compound annual growth rate of more than 40% between 2025 and 2040. If sustained into the longer term, that sort of expansion may lead to most traditional meat products being eliminated by the 2080s, in favour of cultured meat and vegan substitutes. The mass slaughter of animals could be consigned to history, while vast portions of the Earth's land could be restored to their natural, pre-industrial state.
Environmental impact of cultivated meat when produced at scale with renewable energy, compared to intensive, Western European beef production. Source: CE Delft (2023)
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