Aleph Farms are growing cell-based beef meat in a laboratory. All pictures from Aleph Farms
Aleph Farms are growing cell-based beef meat in a laboratory. All pictures from Aleph Farms
Aleph Farms are in talks to grow lamb meat in the UAE.
Aleph Farms are in talks to grow lamb meat in the UAE.
The Israeli firm is pushing ahead with plans to produce meat alternatives in the Emirates
The Israeli firm is pushing ahead with plans to produce meat alternatives in the Emirates
Aleph Farms produces meat using cells from cows and sheep with no injury to the animals involved
Aleph Farms produces meat using cells from cows and sheep with no injury to the animals involved
Aleph Farms has announced plans to build links in the UAE
Aleph Farms has announced plans to build links in the UAE
Aleph Farms are growing beef meat from cells in laboratories
Aleph Farms are growing beef meat from cells in laboratories

Science

Israeli firm launches plan to produce lab-grown lamb in the UAE

Aleph Farms looks to expand its smart meat product range from beef steaks to locally grown lamb

Georgia Tolley
Georgia Tolley

March 01, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Only a few years ago, if someone offered to serve you a burger that looked and tasted like beef, but was made out of plants, you would have called it science fiction.

But Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers plant-based meat alternatives are now readily available in supermarkets and fast food restaurants in the UAE and around the world.

Now the new frontier in alternative meat is cellular, where steaks are grown in laboratories over a period of only a month.

One company that has worked out the biotechnology to grow cuts of beef is Aleph Farms.

It is now in talks to grow lamb meat in the UAE.

Gary Brenner is vice president of product and market development for the Israeli company, and a veteran of more than thirty years in the food industry.

“A lot of the other companies are doing minced meat of one kind or another, or just certain tissue cells,” he said.

"We're doing the whole muscle product and that's what we're going to bring to market in the future.

"The idea is to produce locally. When it comes to the tissue cells we want to collaborate with local biotech research laboratories, and to source the tissue cells from a sheep locally.”

While it is likely to be a couple of years before UAE residents can sit down to enjoy a lamb chop grown at a local lab , Aleph Farms are pushing forward with their beef plans.

A commercial-scale pilot plant is set to be operational before the end of this year.

Aleph Foods grows entire muscles, making the type of product consumers instantly recognise as a cut of steak.

Mr Brenner said no animals are slaughtered in the process of creating the meat, as cells can be taken from cows and sheep without injury.

“The steaks are grown in controlled conditions, in bioreactors, and the bioreactors look very much like what you see in big yoghurt factors,” he said

The process is fully automated and there is no human contact.

“They grow in a liquid growth media. Part of it is minerals and nutrients, and in some cases it’s what we call recombinant proteins.

“We can grow the steaks very quickly, because we can feed the cells as much as we want. There are no antibiotics and no genetically modified products.”

An environmental imperative

At present more than 50 billion kilograms of beef are consumed annually worldwide. Demand is set to increase, as the world's population is predicted to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050.

Farm-grown meat is considered environmentally unsustainable by many climate activists. A recent study published in Science magazine found that producing a kilo of beef emits 60kg of greenhouse gases.

Gulfood 2021:

Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and buyers attend the Gulfood exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre. All pictures by Antonie Robertson / The National
Delegates and buyers attend the Gulfood exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre. All pictures by Antonie Robertson / The National
Chefs prepare food for attendees to try. Companies from about 85 countries are exhibiting their produce this week
Chefs prepare food for attendees to try. Companies from about 85 countries are exhibiting their produce this week
The trade show is a major source of business for local and international companies, at a time when food security is high on the agenda
The trade show is a major source of business for local and international companies, at a time when food security is high on the agenda
Everything from fresh food to dried produce is available
Everything from fresh food to dried produce is available
Many companies establish major leads at the annual event, leading to supply deals later
Many companies establish major leads at the annual event, leading to supply deals later
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer
Delegates and visitors taste and try the produce on offer

As consumers become more conscious of the consequences of their food choices, the global market for meat alternatives is growing faster than any other segment of the food industry, with an expected value of $140 billion annually by 2030.

But will these creative new meat solutions ever be affordable?

Adriaan Figee is the chief commercial  officer of Zanderbergen World’s Finest Meat, which distributes and produces Beyond Meat in Europe and the Middle East.

Speaking to The National at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai, he said they hoped "in due time" to  sell their products at the same price as real meat protein.

“They are still a bit more expensive. The research and development and the investment which went into it, still contributes to the fact that it’s a more premium product,” he said.

Willem Spigt, the alternative protein product manager for the Dutch company said the cost will come down in the future.

"It also has to do with the scalability. In global terms 1 per cent of total meat sales is plant based, so it's still a very small market," he added.

“You need that scale of market to actually drive down the product’s cost. You probably need it to be 10 to 20 per cent of the meat market to actually come to the same cost.”

It is the same story for the cultivated meat market, which is still a frontier industry.

“We expect we will be able to bring our product in parity with a good steak by 2025,” said Mr Brenner.

But the Israeli food development expert is in no doubt about the imperative for meat substitutes.

“If we're going to have 10 billion people, we’d better have alternative ways to feed them, because conventional sources will just destroy the planet,” he concluded.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%203120%20x%201440%2C%20505ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%203%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2014%2C%20One%20UI%206.1%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2050MP%20periscope%20telephoto%20f%2F3.4%20with%205x%20optical%2F10x%20optical%20quality%20zoom%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%20with%203x%20optical%20zoom%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%3B%20100x%20Space%20Zoom%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4030%2F60%2F120fps%2C%20full-HD%4030%2F60%2F240fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20up%20to%201.5m%20of%20freshwater%20up%20to%2030%20minutes%3B%20dust-resistant%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20dual%20eSIM%20(varies%20in%20different%20markets)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Titanium%20black%2C%20titanium%20grey%2C%20titanium%20violet%2C%20titanium%20yellow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGalaxy%20S24%20Ultra%2C%20USB-C-to-C%20cable%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh5%2C099%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C599%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C599%20for%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

FIGHT CARD

Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)

Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)

Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)

Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)

The specs

A4 35 TFSI

Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic

Power: 150bhp

Torque: 270Nm

Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

A4 S4 TDI

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic

Power: 350bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

More from Neighbourhood Watch:
While you're here
While you're here

 

 

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Inside Palestine-Israel
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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')

Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')

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