Foodtech startup MeaTech 3D has successfully bioprinted a 3.67 oz (104-gram) cultivated steak, primarily composed of cultivated real fat and muscle cells, the Ness Ziona-based company announced Tuesday.

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MeaTech believes this to be the largest cultured steak produced to date.

"Today's breakthrough is the culmination of over one year's efforts in our cellular biology and high-throughput tissue engineering processes, as well as our precision bioprinting technology," said MeaTech CEO and CTO Sharon Fima.

"By bioprinting a 3.67 oz steak comprised of living tissue, we believe we have both validated our core technologies and placed ourselves at the forefront of the race to develop high-end, real cell-based cultivated premium meat products," Fima said.

The cells used to make the steak were produced using a proprietary process that isolates bovine stem cells from tissue samples and multiplies. Upon reaching sufficient cellular mass, stem cells were formulated into bio-inks compatible with MeaTech's proprietary 3D bio-printer. The bio-inks were printed from a digital design file of a steak structure. The printed product was placed in an incubator to mature, where the printed stem cells were differentiated into fat and muscle cells that develop into fat and muscle tissue, respectively, to form the MeaTech steak.

MeaTech's goal is to develop a true replacement for conventional steak that maximizes cell-based content rather than non-meat ingredients. The cultivated does not contain any soy or pea protein, substitutes typically used in plant-based meat alternatives.

The company intends to continue improving upon its bioprinting and cultivation technologies to produce cultivated meat that better mirrors the key characteristics of farm-raised, premium steak.

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A food truck serving up a variety of alternative meat dishes to unsuspecting carnivores managed to fool hundreds of Israelis into thinking they were eating the real thing.

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With a goal of attracting 200 tasters over a span of two days, alternative meat company Redefine Meat joined forces with meat distributor Best Meister in setting up a blind taste test in the guise of a food truck in the central moshav of Kidron.

The experiment proved to be a success when over 600 people visited the truck, ordering over 1,000 meals. A whopping 90% of customers said the alternative meat on offer was comparable to the real deal in both taste and texture.

All of the revenue from the food truck's sales went toward local restaurants impacted by government restrictions imposed to rein in the coronavirus pandemic.

Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, who heads Redefine Meat, said, "We believe Alt-Meat should taste as good as animal meat – simple as that. Redefine Meat has achieved that with every product it has put to the test, transitioning the Alt-Meat conversation from health and sustainability and the view that 'this is really close' to 'wow this meat is super delicious.'

"The incredible results of the food truck exemplify this. We initially only expected 100 visitors a day, as the event was held in a small village due to COVID-19 restrictions. But through word of mouth, we ended up receiving over 600 customers in one day – with queues as long as 50 minutes. What this has shown is that meat lovers can enjoy our alternative meat because it tastes and feels like meat – not solely because it is better for the environment or animals," Ben-Shitrit added.

Following the success of the blind taste test, the alternative meat company formed a strategic partnership with Best Meister, which will distribute Redefine Meat's products in the first half of 2021.

Best Meister CEO Ori Zaguri, said, "We've been excited by Redefine Meat's unique alternative meat offering for a while, but the food truck event cemented it for us. Not only was consumer feedback overwhelmingly positive, but Redefine Meat's technology will also provide us the scale to create a wide-variety of quality meat cuts for our customers on-demand from one single source. We believe the mass meat-eater market is ready for alternative meat of this quality, and we are excited to be the first to deliver it to them."

Founded in 2018, Redefine Meat uses proprietary industrial 3D printers to replicate the texture, flavor, and eating experience of beef and other meat products using plant-based ingredients.

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