Cultivated meat company Aleph Farms has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Cultured Hub, a joint venture by Migros Industrie, Givaudan, and Bühler Group.
The agreement will see Aleph Farms establish its first European production base in Kemptthal, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. According to the company, this will provide a capital-efficient, locally embedded way to bring its cultivated steaks (known as Aleph Cuts) to European markets.
Furthermore, the expansion will reportedly provide strong alignment with Switzerland’s food innovation ecosystem, supported by the Canton of Zurich, while aiding in the creation of resilient, decentralized meat supply chains across Europe.
“We believe the future of food depends on cross-industry collaboration to create impact at scale,” said Fabio Campanile, Chairman of The Cultured Hub AG and Head of Science & Technology at Givaudan. “We are confident that we can provide the infrastructure, services, and networks needed to bring great new products to market by combining Aleph’s innovation and expertise with our platform.”
Executing a global strategy
The news comes after an independent techno-economic analysis appeared to confirm that Aleph Cuts can be scaled sustainably and profitably. Aleph Farms also raised $29 million earlier this year to expand its production capacity and implement a revised biomanufacturing process. At the time, the company said the capital would be used to support the expansion of its pilot facility in Rehovot, Israel, and the development of intermediate-scale production sites in Europe and Asia.
In 2023, Aleph Farms submitted Switzerland’s first regulatory application for cultivated beef to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), with support from Migros Industrie. The new MoU represents the company’s next step in preparing for commercial launch through relevant distribution channels, pending regulatory approval.
“This partnership allows us to execute our global strategy in the best possible way, one that is both capital efficient and deeply embedded in the local market,” said Aleph Farms CEO Didier Toubia. “Migros Industrie has been a vital strategic partner since 2019. Our collaboration with The Cultured Hub builds on years of joint work to advance the regulatory and operational readiness of cultivated meat in Switzerland.”
