Israel First Nation to Allow Marketing of Cultured Meat – Greenlights Aleph Farms Steaks

Aleph Farms’ leadership team. From left to right: Technion Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Adviser; Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Neta Lavon, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of R&D. (Credit: Rami Shalosh)

Israel made history when it authorized its alternative food startup Aleph Farms, which boasts Leonardo DiCaprio among its investors, to market lab grown or “cultivated meat” in the country. The move made Israel the first country in the world to allow for the marketing of such an alternative to animal-based products. Until today, only plant-based meat alternatives have been marketed.

Usually, the world waits for the US to make its decision on such matters before doing so. Only after the FDA greenlights something for human consumption in America do other countries follow suit. But in recent years Israel has taken the lead in the field of alternatives to animal-based products.

“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,” said Ziva Hamama, Food Risk Management Department Director at Israel’s Ministry of Health.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to take the credit for the move, at least in part. His office issued a statement pointing out how three years ago he personally directed that a team be established to promote the field of alternative proteins. His office said that this was done with the understanding that this field would lead to the “economic and innovative strengthening of the State of Israel and would provide nutritional security, food safety and promote animal welfare.”

“This is a global breakthrough in the field of alternative protein,” he said, “and an important line in the fields of food security, environmental protection and concern for animals.”

In a new twist on the concept of “light onto nations” Israel has several firms offering artificial meat through the wonders of 3D printing.

Founded in 2017 and based in Rehovot, Israel, Aleph Farms cultivates steaks directly from the cells of a living animal. It has a platform for the cultivation of whole beef steaks.

Aleph Farms boasts that its cell-grown meat is close to conventional meat thanks to a proprietary 3D platform that uses various types of cells to form complex tissue, ensuring an end product that resembles the taste, texture, and structure of farmed meat.

Redefine Meat is probably the best known of these firms. The company develops meat substitutes with 3D printing that it says taste just like the real thing. Other new Israeli firms are also creating egg, dairy and poultry substitutes.

PoLoPo is an Israeli startup producing animal-type proteins from plants. Founded in 2022 by CEO Maya Sapir-Mir and CTO Raya Liberman-Aloni, PoLoPo is developing a plant bio-factory for high scale, custom-made production of proteins. Our first candidate is egg protein (ovalbumin) in an edible plant.

Using directed metabolic engineering techniques, while exploiting the full potential of plants as diverse metabolite and green protein factories, PoLoPo says it creates a “superAA” plant. The superAA is able to produce considerable high amounts of free amino-acids. The elevated production of amino-acids is then translated into high scale production of proteins in plant organs.

Israel has a special reason for pushing through the use of alternative meats and dairy products. Kashrut – Jewish dietary laws – prohibit mixing meat and dairy. Rabbis in Israel have already approved the cultured meat as not only kosher, but also not being real meat. This means that it can be cooked and eaten together with dairy products.

So the next time you visit Israel you can finally have a real kosher cheeseburger or a pizza with meatballs.