Singapore and several other countries approved the sales of cultivated meat in 2020, but that product was based on chicken.
"As part of a pilot study into alternative proteins carried out by the health ministry's National Food Services, for the first time in the world a 'new food' product has been approved which includes cultured cells originating from cattle, instead of chicken cells, also known as cultured meat," the health ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that it was working on promoting alternative food sources, given the growing global demand for protein as well as the importance of producing non-organic foods.
The new food beef-based product has been fully examined for biological safety and consumption safety.
“Following all the tests, the product has been given a permission for sale to the Israeli public,” the ministry noted.
Aleph Farms is one of the key players in the Israeli food tech industry. It invented the technology for growing meat tissue in a lab using cattle cells. The meat is grown in specially designed tanks where cells get nourishment and reproduce without the use of antibiotics.