In January, Aleph Farms, an Israeli company, received regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health to produce and sell cultivated beef in Israel, making it the first such company to receive approval globally. The company’s cultivated beef product, Petit Steak, received a “No Questions” letter from the Ministry of Health in December, following a rigorous review process.
This milestone will allow Aleph Farms to be the pioneer producer and marketer of cultivated meat in Israel and the Middle East. The company is now working with the Ministry of Health to receive specific directions for labelling and marketing before launching the product. The launch is also dependent on the completion of a Good Manufacturing Practices inspection for its pilot production facility in Rehovot.
Aleph Farms plans to begin the launch of its Petit Steak product in select restaurants through exclusive tasting experiences, with retail and food service following thereafter. The product is made from non-modified, non-immortalised Black Angus cow cells, as well as a plant protein matrix of wheat and soy.
CEO Didier Toubia expressed gratitude to the Israeli government, stating, “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 massive food imports, especially in Asia.”
With this regulatory approval, Aleph Farms joins a small group of companies globally that have received approval for cultivated meat. The company has also applied for regulatory approval in other countries, including Singapore, the US, Switzerland, and the UK. Additionally, they have secured significant funding from major names in the industry, such as Brazilian meat giant BRF and Thai seafood heavyweight Thai Union Group.
Israel is home to several companies working in cultivated meat, and Alla Voldman, vice president of strategy and policy at The Good Food Institute in Israel, emphasized the country’s unwavering support in the alternative protein sector, noting that fifteen percent of global investments in the field are allocated to Israeli cultivated meat companies.
Concluding the announcement, the Good Food Institute, a US-based think tank advocating for alternative proteins, expressed strong support for the development of alternative proteins in Israel.
