Israeli start up Aleph Farms’ cultivated meat could soon be on the menu in Europe

An Israeli start-up responsible for creating the world’s first kosher cultivated meat looks set to also be the first to sell cultivated beef steaks in Europe.

Rehovot-based Aleph Farms, which makes proteins from cell cultures rather than harvesting directly from animals, has submitted an application for regulatory approval to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) with the goal of selling Aleph Cuts in Switzerland.

Aleph Farms plans to launch Aleph Cuts in Singapore and Israel later this year, pending regulatory approvals.

The European submission is part of a collaboration with Migros, Switzerland’s largest food enterprise, which has been instrumental in assessing the country’s specific regulatory approval process.

Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, said: “Food systems affect everyone, and it will take a coordinated effort between regulators, innovators and incumbents to ensure food security in a way that helps humanity live within its planetary boundaries.

“At Aleph Farms, we carefully consider partnerships that reflect our core values and sustainability commitments. Together with Migros, we are establishing the cow cell as the third category of food products from cattle, alongside beef and milk. We look forward to working closely with Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office to enable access to both high-quality nutrition and world-changing innovation.”

Earlier this year, Aleph Farms, which counts Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio among its investors, received a game-changing kosher nod from The Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Baruch Lau, for its cultivated thin-cut beef steak, a decision that opens the door for a full kosher certificate ahead of its market launch later this year in Israel, pending regulatory approval.