One month after a high-profile taste-test with Israeli Prime Minister Benhamin Netanyahu, cellular agriculture company Aleph Farms has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japanese technology company Mitsubishi to bring its cultivated meat to Japan.
Once in motion, the deal will see Aleph Farms provide its proprietary BioFarm production platform to cultivate whole-muscle steaks, while Mitsubishi will provide expertise in biotechnology processes, branded food manufacturing and distribution channels throughout Japan. Aleph Farms says that its BioFarm production platform allows for affordable and scalable production of cell-cultivated beef, which brings the price of its cultivated meat to parity with conventional meat.
A regulatory framework for cellular agriculture products has yet to be designed in Japan, though the country’s government has signalled early support. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry awarded a grant to local cellular agriculture company Integriculture to build a commercial cultivated meat facility.
READ MORE: Aleph Farms’ Cultured Meat Coming to Japan Courtesy of Mitsubishi [The Spoon]