Aleph Farms recently hosted a chef evaluation in Thailand for its cultivated beef steaks, Aleph Cuts, to gather insights from experts as it prepares to introduce a product in the country.
After conducting workshops with chefs to meet local culinary preferences, the “world’s first cultivated beef steaks,” were presented to local food industry professionals in Bangkok. The initiative also received media attention from the Associated Press (AP), which covered the tasting in a video.
Amir Ilan, resident chef at Aleph Farms, grilled two thin, seasoned cuts for a taster dish in front of the attendees. AP described the scene as filled with the aroma of cooked meat, while the cultivated beef generated positive reactions for its taste.
Thomtanut Hatayodom, founder of Thai food chain Easy! Buddy, popular for Thai staple dish made with beef said, “The first bite that I had, it did remind me of beef tongue, so it was quite exciting for me because I didn’t have any expectations. I’ve had a lot of plant-based meat, so I wasn’t sure what I was in for.”
Where will Aleph Cuts launch next?
Aleph Farms has reportedly raised $140 million in funding from investors, including food giant Cargill, Thai Union, and Leonardo DiCaprio, for its non-GMO and animal-free serum-cultivated meat platform.
The company has received the green light in its home country to sell its cultivated beef, however, Aleph Cuts have not debuted yet in Israel. The biotech company has also submitted dossiers for cultivated meat approval in Switzerland and the UK, and is currently working with the Thai FDA to develop a regulation framework and launch also in the country.
Aleph Farms has stated before that it aims to make Southeast Asia its central hub and that Thailand, with its rich culinary heritage and reputation as a global culinary hub, is a keystone in the strategy.
Prices will drop
Earlier this year, Aleph Farms partnered with biomanufacturing experts BBGI and Fermbox Bio to establish a cultivated meat facility in Thailand. In 2021, it signed agreements with Thai Union, the world’s largest tuna processor, and CJ CheilJedang (both previous investors) to advance cultivated meat in the country.
Co-founder and CEO Didier Toubia told AP, “We’ll start with small quantities and probably higher costs as we launch. And then, as we expand our production capacity, drive our costs down, improve the production processes, and expand our market, the price will go down.”
