3D meat printing: Aleph Farms unveils “thicker cut” cultivated ribeye steak

10 Feb 2021 --- Aleph Farms and its research partner at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have cultivated the world’s first slaughter-free ribeye steak, using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology. It’s a “thicker cut” version of the world’s first thin-cut steak that they have previously developed.

The Israeli food-tech company has developed the natural building blocks of meat – real cow cells, without genetic engineering and immortalization. Unlike conventional 3D printing technology, Aleph Farms’ 3D bioprinting technology is the printing of actual living cells.

This proprietary technology has been developed just two years after the company unveiled the world’s first cultivated thin-cut steak in 2018. As a natural evolution, the company now can produce any type of steak and plans to expand its portfolio of quality meat products.

This newly cultivated ribeye is a thicker and fattier cut than our first thin-cut steak, Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

The concept from Aleph incorporates real muscle, fat, and vascular-like systems similar to a ribeye from a slaughtered cow, to build a diverse portfolio of cultivated meat cuts.The key difference to this cultivated ribeye steak is the technology behind it, he maintains. 

“With this technology, we’ve introduced new capabilities for producing any type of steak of any dimension. This includes a ribeye steak that consists of fat, muscle and a vascular-like system similar to a ribeye from a slaughtered cow,” Toubia explains. 

Wins for 3D printing 
The underlying technology of Aleph’s ribeye steaks is 3D bioprinting and involves the printing of actual non-GMO and non-immortalized living cells that are then incubated to grow, differentiate, and interact to acquire the texture and qualities of a real steak. 

“A proprietary system, similar to the vascularization that occurs naturally in tissues, enables the perfusion of nutrients across the thicker tissue and grants the steak with the similar shape and structure of its native form as found in livestock before and during cooking,” says Toubia. 

“This breakthrough reflects an artistic expression of the scientific expertise of our team,” he remarks. “The team has tried the ribeye internally and confirmed that it mirrors the culinary and sensory qualities of its slaughter-based counterpart.”

Cultivated meat development
Some consumers will crave thicker and fattier cuts of meat, Toubia outlines. 

“This latest development represents our commitment to meeting unique preferences and taste buds as we continue to diversify our offerings,” he continues. 

“Additional meat designs will drive a larger impact in the mid and long term. This milestone for me marks a major leap in fulfilling our vision of leading a global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable and secure world.”

Aleph Farms has developed a process that uses a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat, without antibiotics and without the use of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS).

This development is part of a larger strategic process to build a portfolio of diversified cultivated meat products to address the growing demands of varying consumer preferences and food cultures around the world.

“Breaking barriers”The cultivated ribeye steak is a thicker cut than the company’s first product – a thin-cut steak.
Aleph Farms has been working on this technology with its partner at the Technion, led by its co-founder and CSA, Professor Shulamit Levenberg. 

“With the realization of this milestone, we have broken the barriers to introducing new levels of variety into the cultivated meat cuts we can now produce. As we look into the future of 3D bioprinting, the opportunities are endless,” says Levenberg. 

Aleph Farms’ zealous plans to diversify its offering align with its strategy to create a global platform for local production, leveraging a highly scalable technology to create culinary experiences that can be adapted for the different food cultures.

“Our focus is on addressing the growing demands of varying consumer preferences and food cultures around the world. To that end, we have developed a new technological capability to enhance our adaptability, enabling us to build a portfolio of diversified cultivated meat products,” Toubia details. 

The company’s technological platform is applicable for various types of meat, including beef, lamb, poultry, pork and seafood, he further outlines.

By Elizabeth Green