Israel’s Aleph Farms’ beef becomes world’s first lab-grown meat approved for sale
The Israeli company expects its cultivated steak to reach restaurants in Israel later this year as it also awaits approval from the UK Food Standards Agency
Israel will soon become the first country where you can eat cultured beef after Aleph Farms received regulatory approval in the form of a “no questions” letter from the country’s Ministry of Health for the sale of its product.
The Rehovot-based company Aleph Farms announced this week that it been given the the green light, which will pave the way for marketing its cultivated beef in Israel. It is estimated that the company’s first ‘petit’ steak, will reach restaurants later this year, and then for food service and retail.
Aleph, which counts Leonardo DiCaprio among its investors, is believed to be the first company to receive this kind of approval.
The cellular agriculture company’s products are made from starter cells that come from a fertilised egg, sourced from a premium Black Angus cow named Lucy. From a one-time collection of Lucy’s fertilised egg, Aleph Farms can grow thousands of tons of cultivated meat without engineering or immortalising cells, avoiding harming the animal and acting as part of an inclusive solution for sustainable and secure food systems.
While the news is a significant milestone, Aleph co-founder and CEO Didier Toubia said it wouldn’t be right to celebrate given the current geopolitical situation in the region.
Announcing the news on his LinkedIn, he said the “milestone isn’t solely a triumph for a just and inclusive transition in animal agriculture; it also stands as a tribute to humanity’s resilience and our collective pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.
“Join us to uncelebrate this huge achievement of our team to make the world a better place. As we begin to see the impact of this approval, our thoughts extend to those grappling with hardship and turmoil in our region. Some people on our team and their family members are directly involved, including by risking their lives fighting for freedom and democracy.
“Therefore, it wouldn’t be appropriate to celebrate. The time is not right. When everyone is back home safe, we’ll give a toast to the women and men working hard every day to deliver #NoMatterWhat. In the meantime, we uncelebrate and give credit to the visionary team members, partners, investors, and supporters who embarked on our journey to make the world a better place. We’ve been able to deliver this milestone for cellular agriculture – designing and making cultivated beef steaks from cow cells – because we’ve been able to count on you.”
Toubia paid tribute to those who had helped during the review process and added the company “remains steadfast in diversifying sustainable sources of animal proteins and fats as part of efforts to fortify global food systems. At this juncture, we acknowledge that our strides in cellular agriculture are only in their infancy. We believe that cultivated beef, as an application of cellular agriculture, is key for longer-term scale-up and acceptance.”
Ziva Hamama, Food Risk Management Department Director at the Health Ministry, said: “This regulatory milestone, the first of its kind worldwide, reflects a comprehensive assessment of crucial factors, from toxicology and allergens to nutritional composition, microbiological safety, and chemical safety throughout the entire production process.”
Cultivated meat, grown from animal cells in a lab, has been gathering interest and popularity globally as a way to sidestep the environmental impact of the meat industry and address concerns over animal welfare.
Last year, Aleph Farms received a game-changing kosher nod from The Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Baruch Lau, who deemed its cultivated thin-cut beef steak kosher, a decision that opens the door for a full kosher certificate ahead of its market launch. The company has also submitted an application to the FSA to launch Aleph cuts in the UK.
Hadar Huberman, Clean Growth Lead UK Israel Tech Hub team British Embassy Israel, told Jewish News: “The British Embassy in Israel had identified the opportunity between the countries on Novel Food regulation and adoption. The UK regulator, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), has been going through massive rethinking and reshaping processes in recent years, to explore new paths of novel food regulations, in order to keep Great Britain ahead of the curve in the matter.
“In June 2023, we hosted a senior delegation from the FSA, led by Prof Robin May, Chief Scientific Adviser, to Israel. The delegates met with Dr Ziva Hamama from the Israeli Ministry of Health, who shared about her methodology in working with foodtech startups. Around the time of the visit, Aleph Farms had applied to the FSA for approval, in order to enter the UK market, as it marks it as a global early adopter for novel foods.
“We hope the milestone set by the Israeli regulator will open new doors for novel food trade between the two countries, increasing economic growth and partnership opportunities for the years to come.”
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