Introducing The ‘World’s First’ Cell-Based Ribeye Steak

The slaughter-free steak uses 3D printing technology to cultivate real cow cells, so that it tastes - and even has fat and muscle - just like its slaughtered counterpart.

Credit: Aleph Farms/Technion

A tech startup has unveiled the ‘world’s first’ cell-based ribeye steak.

The steak incorporates real muscle, fat and a vascular-like system that’s incredibly similar to a ribeye from a slaughtered cow, says its creator, Aleph Farms.

The Israel-based company has used cutting-edge technology to produce the slaughter-free steak, through a combination of 3D bioprinting technology and the natural building blocks of meat – real cow cells. 

Through its bioprinting, Aleph Farms print actual living cells that “are then incubated to grow, differentiate, and interact, in order to acquire the texture and qualities of real steak”.

Credit: Aleph Farms/Technion

Also known as lab-grown or cultured meat, cell-based meat is one of the leading solutions to eliminating factory farms and making the suffering of animals in the farming industry a thing of the past. And because it’s crafted in a lab rather than via animals on a farm, it’s healthier than conventional meat because it contains no antibiotics. 

"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. As we look into the future of 3D bioprinting, the opportunities are endless," says Technion Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Aleph's Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor.

Aleph Farms says it now has the ability to produce any type of steak, and plans to expand its portfolio of slaughter-free meat products.

“We recognize some consumers will crave thicker and fattier cuts of meat. This milestone for me marks a major leap in fulfilling our vision of leading a global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable and secure world," says Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms.

With the technology to make incredible cell-based meat now available, all that remains is scaling it to be cost-effective, and approval from government regulatory boards. Singapore recently became the first authority in the world to approve lab-grown meat for sale, with the launch of American company Eat Just’s lab-grown chicken bites.  

And it’s easy to see how alternative proteins like cell-based meat are already starting to transform the industry: Israel welcomed a trial launch for the world’s first lab-grown meat restaurant late last year, while meat giant McDonald’s recently announced its first vegan burger, dubbed the McPlant. And one innovative start-up has even unveiled the world’s first cell-based lobster.   

For more on the future of food, and how lab-grown meat can help save billions of animals from factory farms, listen to our podcast episode with James Arbib: Rethinking Humanity.

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