Israel Grants World's First Cultured Beef Sales Approval... Taste and Price?

Israel has become the first country in the world to approve the sale of cultured beef. While Singapore and the United States previously approved the sale of cultured chicken, Israel is the first to approve cultured beef.

Cultured beef released by Aleph Farms.
[Photo by Aleph Farms]

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On the 17th, the Food Risk Management Department under the Israel National Food Authority announced that it is working to approve alternative food sources in response to the increasing global demand for "abiotic-derived products." Aleph Farms, a cultured beef company, stated, "In December last year, the Food Risk Management Department granted a safety certification mark for cultured meat products," adding, "Addressing common challenges such as food security will be the best way to ensure prosperity not only in the Middle East but also in other regions worldwide that heavily depend on food imports."

Yoav Reisler, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Aleph Farms, said, "We plan to introduce cultured beef through selected restaurants," and added, "The price of Aleph Cuts (the name of the cultured beef) will be similar to premium traditional beef." He also mentioned that efforts will be made to reduce the price of cultured meat within a few years.

Aleph Farms explained that to produce cultured beef, they utilized the animal's ability to continuously grow muscle tissue. They then recreated optimal conditions for cells similar to those in animals to grow into tissue outside the animal. Once the tissue reaches a certain stage of growth, it is transferred to a tank that functions as a fermenter. There, the immature cells are nurtured into a 3D structure that forms the meat, completing the final formation.

Aleph Farms also announced that since early this year, they have begun the process of obtaining regulatory approval for their products in Switzerland following Israel. In March, they announced plans to establish a production facility in Singapore, in collaboration with the manufacturing organization ESCO Aster, capable of producing 10 to 20 tons of cultured beef annually.

Meanwhile, countries around the world are working on establishing regulations related to cultured meat, but clear regulatory guidelines have yet to be presented. South Korea also appears to be actively developing cultured meat since 2021. The Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Special Affairs launched the Future New Industry Special Committee last April, expressing its intention to discover new industry materials such as cultured meat and alternative meat, and showing a willingness to include cell-cultured products in food standards.

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