As per the announcement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, an Israeli food tech startup is all set to produce cow-free milk with the necessary approval.
Although Netanyahu did not disclose the name of the food tech firm that is expected to receive the approval in the next few days, Tech12 reported that Remilk, an Israeli company specializing in the production of cultured dairy and milk, is the recipient of the permit. However, the startup still needs to obtain regulatory approvals in Israel.
At the beginning of this year, Remilk received approval from regulators in Singapore to sell its milk that is free from cows, and the US Food and Drug Administration issued a letter stating that the startup’s animal-free whey protein can be used safely in food items. This happened after the company began marketing its protein in the United States the previous year.
Remilk, which was established in 2019, uses a yeast-based fermentation method to produce milk proteins that are chemically indistinguishable from those present in dairy products made from cow milk. According to the startup, the outcome is completely identical to genuine milk, but does not contain lactose, cholesterol, growth hormones, or antibiotics.
Remilk produces milk proteins by extracting the genes that encode them and inserting them into a single-cell microbe, which is genetically engineered to express the protein. The final product is then dehydrated into a powder.
On Wednesday evening, while visiting Steakholder Foods, a Rehovot-based company that creates lab-grown meat products, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the declaration. He sampled 3D-printed structured cultivated fish and meat cultivated from animal cells obtained through ethical harvesting methods, rather than slaughter.
“Today we ate fish that was produced without fish and meat that was produced without cattle. This is a global revolution,” said Netanyahu. “Israel is a global leader in the field of alternative protein and we will see to it that we continue to lead.”
“Soon we will have new permits and new heights that will change the world,” he added.
According to a report by the Good Food Institute (GFI) Israel, a non-profit organization promoting innovation in food technology, Israeli startups in the alternative protein sector raised $454 million in funding, placing Israel second after the United States in 2022.
Food technology was included in the Israeli government’s list of top five new national priorities for substantial investment over the next five years in 2022. The Israel Innovation Authority announced a plan earlier this year, with a budget of up to NIS 50 million ($13.7 million), to establish an R&D center for advanced fermentation technology of microorganisms, including yeast or fungi, to produce alternative proteins on a larger scale and maintain the country’s leading position in the sector.
Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis, Prime Minister’s Office Director-General Yossi Shelley, Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Innovation Authority Director Dror Bin, Osem-Nestlé CEO Avi Ben-Assayag, and Tnuva’s Chief Innovation Officer Shay Cohen were among the attendees at the Steakholder Foods presentation.
