Israel paves way for cell-based food frontier with approval of Aleph Farms’ cell-based beef

18 Jan 2024 --- Israel has become the third country to greenlight commercial cell-based meat for human consumption, issuing regulatory approval for Aleph Farms’ cultivated beef product in the form of a “No Questions” letter from its Ministry of Health. The move has been applauded by supporters of less environmentally intensive food production methods and follows the US and Singapore in trailblazing a new market for cellular agriculture.

“This announcement marks a critical leap in the global race to make the meat that people love, that’s also better for our climate, biodiversity and food security. Congratulations to the team at Aleph Farms on becoming the third company in the world to secure regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat, and the first for a cultivated beef product,” Bruce Friedrich, GFI president and founder, tells Food Ingredients First.

“We’re thrilled consumers in Israel will soon join those in the US and Singapore as being among the first to be able to purchase these delicious products.”

Regulatory approval for Aleph Cuts in Israel comes amid regional conflict. Headquartered in Israel’s food tech hub, Rehovot, the company believes the decision represents a “crucial step toward a more integrated and stable Middle East.”

“2024 stands to be a landmark year for the advancement of regulatory pathways and commercialization of cultivated meat. With this historic regulatory approval, Israel’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has firmly cemented its leadership position in introducing world-changing innovation in a way that builds trust with consumers,” says Yifat Gavriel, chief of regulatory affairs, quality assurance and product safety at Aleph Farms. 

“Working closely with the Food Risk Management Department at the IMOH, led by Dr. Ziva Hamama, we have ensured full compliance with safety standards and shaped the regulatory landscape for novel foods, opening the door for cellular agriculture to enhance food safety and food security,” he continues.

CEO Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms.“This approval grants us permission to produce and market our product in Israel, subject to specific directions for labeling and marketing provided by the IMOH, and the completion of Good Manufacturing Practices inspection for our pilot production facility. Our regulatory team is working in similar fashion with authorities in numerous markets around the world in order to ensure compliance with respective safety requirements.”

Israel’s food tech agenda
Israel is the first nation to approve commercialized cell-based beef, following cultured chicken’s entry into Singaporean and US markets.

Aleph Farms’ regulatory green light rounds off an approval process that took the company a year and a half. The Israeli government has been narrowing its focus on public-private partnerships. 

In April 2022, the Israel Innovation Authority allocated US$18 million in government grants to the world’s largest cultivated meat consortium of private companies and research institutions, including Aleph Farms.

The first Aleph Cut to be introduced to diners in Israel — the cultivated Petit Steak — is made of non-modified, non-immortalized cells of a premium Black Angus cow named Lucy, as well as a plant protein matrix made of soy and wheat. 

Aside from starter cells that come from one of Lucy’s fertilized eggs, Aleph Farms stresses its process uses zero animal-derived components — specifically, no fetal bovine serum — in the cultivation process and the final product. 

“No antibiotics are used in production, nor are any present in the final product. [We work with] a controlled and traceable process, including an aseptic production environment, increasing transparency and greatly reducing any risk of contamination,” maintains the company.

The first Aleph Cut to be introduced to diners in Israel — the cultivated Petit Steak — is made of non-modified, non-immortalized cells of a premium Black Angus cow named Lucy.What’s cooking in the cultivated pipeline
Aleph Farms currently has sights on Europe as its next stop. Last July, the company applied for regulatory approval to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office with the goal of commercializing the world’s first cultivated beef steaks under the Aleph Cuts brand in Switzerland.

The submission is part of Aleph’s collaboration with Migros, Switzerland’s largest food enterprise, which has been instrumental in assessing the country’s specific regulatory approval process.

However, accelerated commercial interest in cell-based foods hasn’t come without friction. Last November, in a bid to “safeguard” its nation’s traditionally farmed food heritage, the Italian Parliament voted to ban cultured meat from being produced or sold in the country. Breaching the law could lead to fines of up to €60,000 (approximately US$66,000).

Last week, UK farmers directly responded to the upsurge in cultivated meat innovations, in a survey by the University of Lincoln and Royal Agricultural University, UK. While concerns were flagged about the “lack of information” about the technology, some consider cell-based meat not as a competition but as a “premium” for pasture-reared meat.

By Benjamin Ferrer