Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently is the first head of state to taste meat cultivated outside of a cow.
The prime minister this month visited Israel-based Aleph Farms, one of the world's leading cultured meat companies, and tried out its cultivated steak. “It's delicious and guilt-free, I can’t taste the difference,” Netanyahu declared.
More than a photo op, the visit was symbolic of a government initiative to position Israel at the forefront of a global alternative protein ecosystem. “I have directed the State Secretary Tzahi Braverman to appoint a body to serve these industries in order to connect and oversee all the stakeholders operating in this field,” Netanyahu continued. "Israel will become a powerhouse for alternative meat and alternative protein.”
85 percent of Israel's locally consumed beef is imported, not locally produced.
Also on hand during the visit were Nir Goldstein, Managing Director of Israel's chapter of The Good Food Institute; Tal Gilboa, the government's animal rights advisor; and Didier Toubia, Aleph Farms’ co-founder and CEO. Toubia also unveiled the organization’s National Policy Plan, a roadmap for making Israel the global alternative protein leader.
Israel has become a uniquely fertile ground for innovation in food technology, according to a spokesman for Aleph, with connections forged among academia, the food industry and the government. The Israeli Innovation Authority established incubators The Kitchen Hub and Fresh Start.
Aleph Farms was founded and nurtured by The Kitchen Hub incubator of the Strauss Group, in collaboration with Prof. Shulamit Levenberg, Dean of the Biomedical Engineering faculty of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Cargill is among investors in Aleph Farms.
Israel also is home to cultured meat developers SuperMeat, MeatTech and Future Meat Technologies.
Last week, Singapore became the first country to approve cultured meat for consumption, responding to a petition from U.S. firm Eat Just.
