Aleph Farms taste test put cultivated steak neck-and-neck with conventional beef

Aleph Farms has reported that its cultivated beef performed on par with conventional steak in a blind taste test, with similar acceptance levels and purchase intent among regular meat-eaters.

• Aleph Farms conducted a blind taste test with 60 participants, showing 96% acceptance for cultivated steak compared to 98% for conventional beef.
• Half of participants said they would consider ordering the cultivated product in a restaurant, closely matching responses for traditional steak.
• The company reported comparable scores for texture and taste, with cultivated steak slightly outperforming on tenderness.

The study, carried out at the company’s facility in Rehovot in partnership with New Sense Research, compared Aleph Farms’ cultivated Black Angus steak with traditional beef across a group of regular meat consumers.

Results showed that 96% of participants accepted the cultivated product, compared with 98% for conventional steak, a difference that was not statistically significant. When asked about ordering in a restaurant setting, 50% of participants said they would choose the cultivated option, compared with 51% for traditional beef.

The findings suggested that consumer willingness to purchase cultivated steak could align closely with conventional products, at least under controlled tasting conditions.

Aleph Farms’ product, marketed as Petit Steak under the Aleph Cuts brand, combines non-modified Black Angus cells with a plant-based matrix made from soy and wheat proteins to replicate the structure and sensory characteristics of steak.

Participants rated the cultivated product slightly higher for tenderness, scoring it 7.6 out of 10 compared with 7.3 for conventional beef. Juiciness scores were similar, with cultivated steak rated at 7.4 and traditional beef at 7.7, again with no statistically significant difference.

On a just-about-right scale, conventional beef was described as slightly lacking in tenderness and requiring more chewing, while the cultivated version aligned more closely with ideal texture attributes.

Aleph Farms Co-founder Didier Toubia said the results demonstrated that cultivated meat could reach parity with conventional products on key sensory attributes.

He said achieving equivalence in taste and texture was a prerequisite before consumers would consider factors such as sustainability, health, or ethics in their purchasing decisions.

The study also explored how nutritional positioning influenced consumer perception. Highlighting attributes such as lower fat, saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol did not reduce interest, with 72% of participants maintaining positive purchase intent.

When additional nutritional benefits, including iron and vitamin B12 content, were emphasized, 61% of participants reported increased interest in the cultivated product, while 11% said it reduced appeal.

Aleph Farms reported that its cultivated steak contains 80% less cholesterol, nine times more polyunsaturated fat, similar protein content, and fewer calories compared with conventional beef.

The company is currently operating a 65,000ft2 production facility with an annual capacity of around 10 tons of cultivated steak. It is also planning additional production sites in Thailand, Switzerland, and Malaysia as it works to expand supply into European and Asia-Pacific markets.

Aleph Farms has raised US$147 million to date and has received regulatory clearance to sell its cultivated beef in Israel. It is currently seeking approval in multiple markets, including Singapore, the UK, Switzerland, the European Union, and the UAE.

The company has said it is targeting restaurant launches in Israel and Singapore by 2027, as it continues to scale production and navigate regulatory pathways.

Toubia said the results of the taste test supported the company’s broader aim of offering cultivated meat that could compete directly with conventional products without requiring consumers to compromise on quality.