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Aleph Farms, a food company that grows 'cultivated beef steaks' has successfully produced meat on the International Space Station.
The experiment took place 339km away from any natural resource, to prove that Aleph Farms can enable “unconditional access to safe and nutritious meat anytime, anywhere, while using minimal resources”.
Russian company, 3D Bioprinting Solutions and two US companies, Meal Source Technologies and Finless Foods have collaborated in the experiment. Aleph Farms was co-founded by the Israeli based food-tech incubator ‘The Kitchen’ and Prof. Shulamit Levenberg of the Israel Institute of Technology.
Cultivation
The steaks are produced by "mimicking a natural process" of muscle-tissue regeneration occurring inside the cow’s body.
A small-scale muscle tissue in a 3D bioprinter was assembled under micro-gravity conditions to cultivate the meat.
The company claims that the meat “serves as an essential growth indicator of sustainable food production methods that don’t exacerbate land waste, water waste, and pollution”.
Vision
Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms said: “This joint experiment marks a significant first step toward achieving our vision to ensure food security for generations to come, while preserving our natural resources."
Jonathan Berger, CEO of The Kitchen added: “The mission of providing access to high-quality nutrition anytime, anywhere in a sustainable way is an increasing challenge for all humans."
The company also predicts that their 'meat' will reach 10bn individuals by 2050.
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