Fake meat wins kosher approval

A cutting-edge company near Tel Aviv has become the first cultivated meat firm in Israel to receive a kosher ruling, writes Jotam Confino.

Israeli Chief Rabbi David Baruch Lau has announced that under religious law, steak produced by Rehovot-based firm Aleph Farms and grown directly from non-genetically engineered animal cells may officially be eaten by Jews.

The ruling suggests that once the product is given its official market launch in Israel, expected soon, authorities will confirm Aleph

Farms cultivated steaks are kosher, enabling Jew who observe kosher to incorporate them into their diets.

Products are produced from starter cells from a fertilised egg sourced from a premium Black Angus cow named Lucy who lives on a breeding farm in California.

From a one-time collection of Lucy’s fertilised egg, Aleph Farms then grows thousands of tonnes of cultivated meat without engineering cells.

Aleph says the innovative process avoids any animal slaughter and encourages greater sustainability within the industry.

Aleph co-founder and CEO Didier Toubia says he believes the decision is significant for the cultivated meat business as a whole, saying it “sets a foundation for an inclusive public discourse about the intersection of tradition and innovation in our society”.

Established in 2017, Aleph Farms is also in contact with Muslim, Hindu and other religious authorities to certify its products as a viable and alternative dietary option.