Israel start-up Aleph Farms has created the world’s first lab-grown, slaughter-free ribeye steak with the help of 3D bioprinting.
Incorporating real muscle, fat, and vascular-like system similar to a ribeye from a slaughtered cow, Aleph Farms ‘ invention – developed in collaboration with Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) – could help build a more diverse portfolio of cultivated meat cuts of any dimension.
3D bioprinting involves the printing of actual living cells that are then incubated to grow, differentiate, and interact, in order 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.
This grants the steak with the similar shape and structure of its native form as found in livestock before and during cooking.
As pointed out by Aleph Farms’ Co-Founder and CEO Didier Toubia, the breakthrough reflects an artistic expression of the scientific expertise borne by his team.
It is a major leap fulfilling their vision of leading a global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable and secure world.
According to Toubia, the newly cultivated ribeye steak is a thicker cut than their first product – a thin-cut steak they developed in 2018, sans 3D bioprinting.
It incorporates muscle and fat similar to its slaughtered counterpart and boasts the same organoleptic attributes of a delicious tender, juicy ribeye steak you’d buy from the butcher.
“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,” notes Technion professor and Aleph Farms co-founder, Shulamit Levenberg.
According to Levenberg, it could lead to culinary experiences that are adaptable to different food cultures around the world.
Image and content: Aleph Farms-Technion/Medium