Cultivated beef safe for human consumption, Israeli government says
The meat does not come from a slaughtered animal
5 March 2024
2 minute read
By: In January 2023, after visiting Aleph Farms, Israel’s Chief Rabbi (and Israel’s pre-eminent Jewish authority), David Lau, declared that cultivated meat could be considered kosher, according to a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report.
He explained that because the product does not come from a slaughtered animal and does not have blood, the product should be considered Kosher Pareve even though it has a trace of stem cells from an animal source.
While this announcement was welcomed news by the Israeli cultured meat sector, the product is defined as a “new food,” meaning the product still had to undergo a complex individual approval process to safeguard public health before it can be commercialised.
Government finds cultured beef safe for consumption
After a review by the Ministry of Health’s National Food Services, Aleph Farms was granted a “No Questions” letter in January 2024, acknowledging that cultivated beef is safe to eat. The Head of the Food Risk Management Department noted: "The approval comes after a range of critical factors [were] examined, including toxicology, allergenic potential, nutritional composition, the microbiological and chemical safety of the new food, and all aspects of its manufacturing process, from initial isolation of the cells to processing and packing of the final food product.” With this approval, Aleph Farms became the first company in the world to be granted a pre-marketing approval for cultivated beef.
The company reportedly intends to continue with the regulatory process for getting their production facility approved as safe for food production. Furthermore, the company intends to move forward with commercializing its “petit steak,” which will be marketed under the brand “Aleph Cuts.”
