Lab-Grown, 3D-Printed Pork By Israeli Startup Could Be ‘Kosher’ Too
Image via MeaTech
Latest in the assemblage of sustainable meat products is Israeli cell-cultured meat company MeaTech’s innovative new venture: lab-grown meat; pork, specifically.
Described as a “sustainable substitute for conventionally slaughtered meat,” the final product is a new type of meat, comprised of tissues made from lab-grown cells. The stem cells do originate from animals, but no slaughtering or husbandry is involved. This takes a notable amount of pressure off the environment, the livestock, and is much more ethical compared to traditional meat production.
Earlier this month, MeaTech announced its investigation into “cultivated pork research and development activities,” according to a statement in its press release. “Porcine cellular agriculture, if successfully developed, has the potential to expand MeaTech's potential addressable markets, as pork is currently the most consumed meat across the globe.”
Just this week, a new development was then publicized: MeaTech signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with supermarket chain and meat supplier Tiv Ta’am, with the aim to cooperate on developing the cultivated meat, including “the establishment of a production facility.” Tiv Ta’am will also get distribution and marketing rights to the completed products.
It’s no stranger to this sector—MeaTech has already been developing chicken and beef cell lines. Earlier this year, it announced its plans for a pilot plant to open in 2022, ready to produce cultured chicken fat. Its aims were to expand into manufacturing steaks and chicken breast, utilizing 3D bioprinting technology.
The “dream scenario,” Simon Fried, business development at the Ness Ziona, told The Times of Israel in an interview, would be using the cultivated cells to multiply into new ones. This could mean leaving real animals entirely out of the picture, for a healthier, more ethical, ecosystem.
There’s also a possibility the 3D-printed pork is kosher, according to The Times of Israel, but that’s “depending on what the rabbis say.” Fried described, “The jury is still out. There are no off-the-shelf answers about whether it will be deemed kosher or not.”
For context, kosher foods are foods that fall within a diet established by Judaism, and involves the slaughter of animals in a less “cruel” manner. However, while beef and chicken can be kosher, pork never is.
Fried explained that MeaTech participates in no killing of animals, the meat produced is “identical” to regular meat.
Cellular agriculture promises the same familiar meat experience but offers slaughter-free sustainability! 🥓🍗🥩🍖#3Dprinting #beef #cleanmeat #bioprinting #cellag #cultivatedmeat #culturedmeat #cellbased #labgrown #foodtech #altprotiens #foodofthefuture $MITC pic.twitter.com/WHPLhxMhJB
— MeaTech (@MeaTech3D) June 30, 2021
Cultivated or cultured meat is real, slaughter-free meat made in a lab. It's made by growing a sample of animal cells into structures that replicate conventional #meat. https://t.co/3BXndeQg7r#cultivatedmeat #cleanmeat #bioprinting #culturedmeat #foodtech #cellag $MITC pic.twitter.com/GgB64xEfuV
— MeaTech (@MeaTech3D) June 23, 2021
[via The Times of Israel, image via MeaTech]
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