Start-up files request to sell lab-grown steak in Switzerland

Aleph Farms isn’t the only pioneer: Swiss start-up Mirai Foods is also working on lab-grown beef steak (picture). Awp/keystone/gaetan Bally

An Israeli start-up firm has submitted an application to sell cultured – i.e. lab-grown – meat in Switzerland. It’s the first such application in Europe.

The Aleph Farms start-up announced the application to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) on Wednesday.

The plan is to sell the “world’s first cultivated beef steaks under the branding of Aleph Cuts” in cooperation with Swiss retail giant Migros, an investor in Aleph Farms since 2019, the Israeli firm said.

+ Read more: is cultured meat coming soon to Switzerland?

Aleph Farms describes itself as a “cellular agriculture company” whose goal is to “grow quality animal products that improve sustainability, food security, and animal welfare in our food systems”.

Its investors include, among others, actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Cultivated or cultured meat is made by using tissue engineering techniques to culture animal cells in vitro (in a lab setting), removing the need to keep and slaughter living animals.

If Swiss authorities approve the application, it would be a first in Europe. A spokesman for Migros said however that the product would initially be available in upscale restaurants; it’s unlikely to be seen in supermarkets before 2030.

Similar requests have been made in Asia and the United States. The FSVO said the authorisation procedure would take at least several months.

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