Israeli alt-meat firm names new regulatory exec amid SG push

Aleph Farms, an Israel-based cultivated meat company, is set to launch in Singapore, appointing a new chief of regulatory affairs and quality assurance in preparation.

Aleph Farms chief of regulatory affairs and QA Yifat Gavriel / Photo credit: Aleph Farms

In this role, Yifat Gavriel will lead the establishment of a regulatory approval process for Aleph’s cultivated meat. The company is in talks with multiple regulatory agencies as it pursues plans to sell its first product, thin-cut cultivated beef steak. The Singapore Food Agency was the first to approve it as an ingredient in 2020.

Didier Toubia, Aleph co-founder and CEO, said that regulatory agencies have been open to the cultivated meat industry so far.

Gavriel was previously the head of regulatory affairs at Omrix Biosurgery Israel, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. She has more than 15 years of experience, having established product quality compliance in 10 different manufacturing sites and marketing products in more than 20 regions.

See also: Mapping Southeast Asia’s alt-meat makers

Aleph has been moving into the Asian market, signing memoranda of understanding in September 2021 with Asian food supplying giants Thai Union and CJ CheilJedang to accelerate its go-to-market activities. The alt-meat firm announced a similar agreement with Mitsubishi in Japan.

In 2021, Aleph raised US$105 million in a series B round led by L Catterton and DisruptAD, with participation from Temasek.