Alternative Meat Featured at Israel UN Independence Day Event

Plantish salmon™ is nutritionally similar to conventional salmon, and is high in protein, Omega-3s, Omega-6s, and B vitamins. Photo by Shahaf Beger

Israel promoted its alternative meat industry and other replacement products for animal based foods at the country’s Independence Day Celebrations at the U.N. Israel celebrated its Independence Day on May 4, the day on which it fell on the Hebrew calendar, but its independence was declared on May 15, 1948.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan hosted the celebration which was attended by ambassadors from around the world and featured Israeli food-tech companies and the Good Food Institute.

Erdan declared that the Israeli firms showcased offer, “innovative products are incredible and will help us combat climate change!”

“We explored cultivated meats, plant-based proteins, chicken-less eggs and cow-less milk,” said Erdan. “But Israel is not only at the forefront of the food-tech sector. Israel – the Startup Nation – leads the world in almost every area of technological innovation and creativity.”

Erdan explained why Israel is always at the forefront of such innovation saying that the, “Israeli drive to create, improve, and revolutionize, may have immense modern-day effects, but it stems from an age-old Jewish concept – Tikkun Olam – healing a fractured world.”

That’s right. You may be thinking that this is all only something for vegans. After all, who else never eats eggs? Meat is one thing, but fake eggs and dairy? At most people avoid eating them for health reasons, but they do not go to the trouble of avoiding any product which includes some kind of egg extract.

Poultry is everywhere and not just for fast food. Countless poultry farms are dedicated to raising chickens just for their eggs. These chickens live much longer than those raised for slaughter. And so they use up a great deal more of world resources from energy, to water and food. The production of all of the food that they eat causes carbon emissions. And the chickens themselves leave behind a tremendous amount of waste.

And the same can be said about dairy farms. So, today switching over to vegetarianism is not just about not wanting to eat animals anymore. It’s also about fighting climate change and cleaning up the environment.

There are probably too many such Israeli startups to have showcased them all at the event. But here are some of the bigger examples.

The Israeli startup Redefine Meat is raising an additional $250 million in funding. The company develops meat substitutes with 3D printing that it says taste just like the real thing. Just last December, Future Meat, an Israeli cultured meat startup, hit a $900 million valuation.

And the work is not limited to meat or poultry either. In March, Israeli startup Plantish, which uses plant proteins to create fish, raised $12.45 million in seed funding led by State Of Mind Ventures, the largest seed round to date in the burgeoning alternative seafood market. Yofix Probiotics offers plant based dairy alternatives, and Zero Egg produces an egg alternative made from plants for foodservice and food manufacturers.

Ambassador Erdan explained to those gathered at the event that this is an example of the good coming out of Israel, but unfortunately one mostly hears criticism of Israel at the U.N. “Israel should be singled out,” he said. “But only for the amazing good that it brings to the world. As delegates to a body that is focused on making the world a better place, Israel’s contributions to this cause must not only be remembered but celebrated!”