Tasting

ORF Genetics and Cellmeat host cultivated shellfish tasting

Image courtesy of ORF Genetics
Seafood

ORF Genetics and Cellmeat Host “First Cultivated Shellfish Tasting Outside Asia” in Iceland

Last week, Icelandic plant biotechnology company ORF Genetics partnered with South Korean cultivated seafood startup Cellmeat to host what was claimed to be the first cultivated shellfish tasting held outside Asia. The tasting took place at the Iceland Ocean Cluster, a center that supports, incubates, and invests in startups creating value from under-utilized marine resources. Among the attendees were Mr. Björn Skúlason, the First Gentleman of Iceland, and Mrs. Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. Guests were given the opportunity to taste cultivated shellfish products prepared by South Korean chef Jinyoung Park. Around a year ago, ORF Genetics facilitated what was claimed to be Europe’s first cultivated meat tasting in partnership with Australian cultivated quail producer Vow. The event was attended …

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Biotech startup Biokraft Foods hosted India's first formal tasting event for a cultivated meat product in Mumbai, India, last week.

Image courtesy of Biokraft Foods
Cultivated Meat

Biokraft Foods Debuts Cultivated Chicken at India’s First-Ever Public Tasting for Cultivated Meat

Biotech startup Biokraft Foods hosted India’s first formal tasting event for a cultivated meat product in Mumbai, India, last week. Over 30 representatives from key organizations, including PETA India, GFI India, Chamber for Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses (CASMB), YODA India, and India Animal Fund, had the opportunity to taste cultivated chicken burgers and chili chicken. According to the announcement, attendees praised the innovation and Biokraft’s sustainability mission. Kamalnayan Tibrewal (CEO) founded Biokraft Foods in 2023, focusing on cultivated chicken and 3D bioprinting technology to create products that replicate the structure, texture, flavor, and nutritional profile of chicken meat. The company uses hybrid inks featuring chicken cells and algal-based biopolymers. The startup says more tasting events are coming to gain consumer and expert feedback. CASMB …

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Aleph Farms hosted its first cultivated beef tasting in Thailand, marking a significant regional milestone.

© Aleph Farms
Cultivated Meat

Ahead of Thai Market Launch, Aleph Farms Gathers Chef Feedback on Cultivated Beef Steaks

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, …

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Vital Meat's cultivated chicken with rice

Image courtesy of Vital Meat
Company News

Singapore Tasting of Cultivated Chicken Marks Milestone in Vital Meat’s Path to Approval

Vital Meat, a cultivated meat startup based in Nantes, France, held the first tasting event for its flagship ingredient, Vital Chicken, in Singapore last week in partnership with Hue Restaurant. The exclusive tasting gathered 30 people, including investors, industry players, Singapore officials, French community representatives, and cultivated meat industry leaders, according to the announcement. Chef Jun Hao, a renowned chef blending traditional Thai flavors with modern twists, designed dishes to showcase the versatility of Vital Meat’s chicken in everyday recipes. Guests were treated to a three-course menu combining traditional Singaporean flavors: chicken skin chips, “offering a delightful crunch;” a delicate Vital Chicken broth paired with handmade ravioli infused with traditional local spices; and chicken rice, a flavorful Singaporean classic. Tastings, a crucial step before approval The …

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Pieces of meat by Ants Innovative

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Ingredients

Ants Innovate Unveils Cell-Based Ingredient that “Captures the Maximum Flavor of Meat”

Singapore’s Ants Innovate, a deep tech startup focusing on developing cultivated whole meat cuts, held a private tasting to debut Cell Essence, a functional ingredient designed for hybrid (cell- and plant-based) products that is said to deliver an authentic meaty flavor. The Good Food Institute APAC reports that the company featured porcine Cell Essence in different meat alternative dishes, including meatballs, Shanghai-style soup dumplings, and teriyaki grilled meat skewers at the tasting. Attendee Calisa Lim, Senior Project Manager at APAC-SCA, shared on social media, “In a private tasting session today, the versatile cultivated oil was incorporated into an IKEA-style meatball, Shanghai-style xiao long bao (!), and a teriyaki grilled skewer. The small percentage of cells (<3%) was enough to deliver on the sweet, salty, and …

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UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats, have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Roundup: The Biggest News in Cultivated Meat and Seafood from the 1st Half of 2024

Although the cellular agriculture industry is traversing a consolidation phase and is facing the challenge of slower investor interest, the sector is building itself from the ground up, achieving all sorts of significant milestones — the first steps of what is set to become the fourth agricultural revolution. Here we look back on the biggest news stories in cultivated meat and seafood from H1 2024, and there have been several standout moments across different categories, as follows. Regulatory approvals France’s Gourmey became the first-ever company to apply to sell cultivated meat in the EU, marking a significant regulatory milestone. It submitted an application to EFSA for cultivated foie gras.  GOOD Meat announced the world’s first retail sales of cultivated meat in Singapore, making cultivated meat available for …

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Mosa Meat has conducted the first formal tasting of their cultivated beef product, the Mosa Burger, in The Netherlands.

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Meat

Mosa Meat Hosts First Official EU Cultivated Beef Tasting, Experts Rave It “Really Tasted Like Meat!”

Mosa Meat, the company founded by the creator of the world’s first cultivated burger patty, announces it has conducted the first formal tasting of its cultivated beef product, the Mosa Burger, in the Netherlands. The event marks the first official tasting of cultivated beef in the EU, following the single market’s inaugural tasting by Meatable in the Netherlands, which featured cultivated pork sausages. Mosa Meat’s much-anticipated tasting gathered Dutch cattle farmers, food product developers, and industry representatives to collect expert feedback. According to Mosa Meat, participants noted the burger’s authentic meat taste, juiciness, and succulence. “The burger really tasted like meat. […] Usually, I don’t eat meat, but I miss the taste of meat a lot, and this is the way to ultimately add it …

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UPSIDE Foods is hosting a free one-night-only pop-up in Miami to offer cultivated chicken before Florida's cultivated meat ban takes effect on July 1, 2024.

© UPSIDE Foods
Cultivated Meat

UPSIDE Foods Hosts Free Cultivated Chicken Tasting Before Florida’s Ban

UPSIDE Foods, the first company to introduce a cultivated meat product in the USA,  announces that it is hosting a free, one-night-only pop-up tasting in Miami, on June 27, starting at 6:30 pm (ET). The event aims to celebrate “freedom of food” and allow Floridians to taste cultivated meat before the ban prohibiting the production and sale of cultivated meat in Florida takes effect on July 1, 2024. At the pop-up, participants will have the opportunity to taste UPSIDE’s cultivated chicken on a first-come, first-served basis. The address has not been disclosed; to obtain it, contact [email protected]. Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of UPSIDE Foods, commented, “We believe that cultivated meat is an essential part of the future of food and that people should have …

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Following the successful creation of a cultivated eel prototype claimed as the world’s first, Israel's Forsea Foods debuted the product at its first official tasting at Restaurant "a" in Tel Aviv.

© Liran Maimon
Company News

40 Guests Taste Forsea’s Cultivated Eel at Official Tasting: “Feedback was Uplifting”

Following the successful creation of a cultivated eel prototype claimed as a world first, Israel’s Forsea Foods announces it has recently debuted the product at its first official tasting at restaurant “a” in Tel Aviv. According to the announcement, more than 40 guests had the opportunity to taste Forsea’s cultivated eel fillets in various dishes. The menu’s centerpiece was Unagi kabayaki, a Japanese specialty of grilled fresh eel on a bed of aromatic rice (featured image). Roee Nir, CEO and co-founder of Forsea, shares, “Since the start of the year, we have made significant advancements in improving our cell lines. We also have been working diligently to enhance our recipes. This event was a great opportunity for us to present our unprecedented achievements to partners and …

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Estonia's government innovation lab, Accelerate Estonia has announced Estonia's first public novel food tasting and one of the first public tastings of novel foods across Europe. 

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Estonia to Hold First-Ever Public Novel Food Tasting Featuring Innovations by ÄIO & Gelatex

Estonia’s governmental innovation lab, Accelerate Estonia, in collaboration with the novel food startups ÄIO and Gelatex, has announced Estonia’s first public novel food tasting and one of the first public tastings of novel foods across Europe.  The event will feature dishes prepared by chef Johannes Hõimoja using novel food ingredients from ÄIO and Gelatex. It will take place on the 23rd of May during the region’s startup and tech event, Latitude59.  According to the announcement, participants will be informed about the product details, including the production process, ingredients, and allergens, and will be required to sign a consent form regarding the tasting. Fats and nanofibers for food ÄIO uses natural and precision fermentation to “brew” fats and oils using other industries’ side streams, such as sawdust. Its products can replace palm …

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(L) Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Education, Industry, and Innovation and Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries - Image provided
Cultivated Meat

Icelandic Ministers Taste Ivy Farm’s Cultivated Beef During Iceland Innovation Week

The UK-based cultivated meat company Ivy Farm Technologies and the Icelandic biotechnology company ORF Genetics held a cultivated meat tasting and panel discussions at an event last week during Iceland Innovation Week. The tasting featured cultivated meatballs made with Angus beef cells prepared by Chef Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, owner and chef of the restaurant Brút in Reykjavík. According to the announcement, many stakeholders from the food and technology industries attended the event, including Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Education, Industry, and Innovation, and Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.  Sigurbjörnsdóttir commented: “It is very exciting to see the developments in cultivated meat production globally and it is particularly enjoyable to see an Icelandic company, ORF Genetics, taking part in this. Iceland Innovation Week has been very diverse, and getting to taste meat from Ivy Farm was a …

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Magic Valley introduces new cultivated pork bao buns at public tasting

Image courtesy of Magic Valley
Cultivated Meat

Magic Valley’s Cultivated Pork Impresses with “Indistinguishable” Flavor at Tasting Event

Australian firm Magic Valley, a cultivated meat company at the forefront of scalable solutions, debuted a new product —cultivated pork bao buns — at a recent tasting at John Gorilla Café in Brunswick. The event brought together a wide range of attendees from different industries, all intrigued by future technology, advancements in food technology, and the alternative protein sector, according to the announcement. Magic Valley claims to have developed a scalable platform for growing beef, lamb, and pork without fetal bovine serum using iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) technology. This tech allows cells to grow indefinitely to create unlimited quantities of meat. On the right track However, while producing volumes to stay competitive in the food industry is essential, Magic Valley’s primary goal is to replicate …

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Meatable, a Dutch producer of cell-based pork meat, has become the first company to hold an officially approved cultivated meat tasting in the European Union and the first in the Netherlands.

Image courtesy of Meatable © Bart Maat
Cultivated Meat

Meatable Makes History as First Company to Hold a Cultivated Meat Tasting in the EU

Meatable, a Dutch producer of cell-based pork meat, has become the first company to hold an officially approved cultivated meat tasting in the European Union, and the first in the Netherlands. According to the announcement, the company held a private tasting for its cultivated pork sausages at its new headquarters in Leiden after receiving approval for product safety from the third-party committee sanctioned by the Dutch government. Important to note here is that Australian company Vow recently held Europe’s first official cultivated meat tasting featuring gourmet dishes crafted with Vow’s cultivated quail. However, this took place in Iceland which is not a member of the EU, and the Meatable news relates specifically to the first tasting in an EU country. Joining Meatable at this historic …

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Meatable's co-founders

Meatable's co-founders Daan Luining (R) and Krijn de Noo - Image courtesy of Meatable
Cultivated Meat

Meatable Prepares for First Cultivated Pork Tasting in the Netherlands, Mosa Meat to Follow with Cultivated Beef 

Dutch cultivated pork company Meatable announces that it has submitted a dossier to hold the country’s first legally sanctioned cultivated meat tasting. As soon as the experts give the green light, Meatable will host the first-ever tasting of its cultivated pork products. Only last November, the company opened a new pilot facility to expand the production ahead of a cultivated pork launch poised for 2024.  Krijn de Nood, co-founder and CEO at Meatable, said: “We can’t wait to invite people to try our delicious pork sausages and experience for themselves that it doesn’t just look and taste like meat, it is meat.” The first EU tastings of cultivated beef The news follows the recent launch of an independent Expert Committee by Cellular Agriculture Netherlands (CANS) on behalf …

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The Netherlands has become the first European country to allow cultivated meat and seafood tastings

Image courtesy of Meatable
Politics & Law

The Netherlands Makes History as First European Country to Allow Cultivated Meat and Seafood Tastings

The Netherlands has become the first European country to allow cultivated meat and seafood tastings, even before an EU novel food approval. Today the Dutch government announced that the much-awaited tastings will soon take place under limited conditions. Although the first piece of cultivated meat was developed in the Netherlands, until now, it was illegal for anyone — even scientists — to taste it. But after this historic agreement, investors, partners, consumers, and scientists will soon taste Mosa Meat’s beef burgers, Meatable‘s cultivated pork, and future developments. Krijn de Nood, CEO at Meatable, comments: “This is great news for the Netherlands. We know cultivated meat can significantly help reduce climate impact. By enabling the tasting of cultivated meat, The Netherlands maintains its pioneering role in Europe and …

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Cultivated pork sausages

Image courtesy of Meatable
Cultivated Meat

Dutch Cabinet to Approve Cultivated Meat Tastings Within Weeks

Cultivated meat tastings will reportedly be legal in the Netherlands in a few weeks’ time, allowing researchers, experts, and journalists to sample slaughter-free meat. Despite the fact that the first ever piece of cultivated meat was produced in the Netherlands, it is currently still illegal for anyone — even the scientists developing the products — to taste it. This has posed a problem for Dutch companies such as Mosa Meat and Meatable; “tastings” currently have to be done with computer software, which may not always correctly emulate human tastes. Politicians have been calling for change for years, and a motion to allow tastings was finally passed in the House of Representatives in 2022. But approval from the Cabinet was still required, and according to RTL …

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cellx cultivated meat on a plate

© CellX
Company News

CellX & Tofflon to Build “China’s First” Pilot Facility for Cultivated Meat Production

Chinese biotechnology company CellX and Tofflon, a provider of process support, core equipment, consumables, and system engineering solutions for global drug and food manufacturing, have announced a strategic agreement partnership to build China’s first pilot facility for cultivated meat production.  Additionally, the companies announced plans to develop innovative equipment and to build other global facilities for the commercial production of cultivated meat products.  Ziliang Yang, co-founder and CEO of CellX, said: “Tofflon is one of the world’s leading providers of comprehensive solutions for drug and food manufacturing, and their equipment and technologies can be quickly applied to the field of cultivated meat. As part of our strategic partnership, the construction of a pilot facility is the cornerstone of CellX’s journey to scale up cultivated meat production in …

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cellx cultivated meat on a plate

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Cultivated Meat

CellX & Tofflon to Build “China’s First” Pilot Facility for Cultivated Meat Production

Chinese biotechnology company CellX and Tofflon, a provider of process support, core equipment, consumables, and system engineering solutions for global drug and food manufacturing, have announced a strategic agreement partnership to build China’s first pilot facility for cultivated meat production.  Additionally, the companies announced plans to develop innovative equipment and to build other global facilities for the commercial production of cultivated meat products.  Ziliang Yang, co-founder and CEO of CellX, said: “Tofflon is one of the world’s leading providers of comprehensive solutions for drug and food manufacturing, and their equipment and technologies can be quickly applied to the field of cultivated meat. As part of our strategic partnership, the construction of a pilot facility is the cornerstone of CellX’s journey to scale up cultivated meat production in …

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