Israel’s food technology businesses are exploring new opportunities in majority-Muslim markets. In particular, food producers in the Jewish state are preparing halal-certified products for devout Muslims as they seek to expand in the ASEAN region, including Indonesia.
Among those food producers is Steakholder Foods, a company that produces cultured meat products. The company develops slaughter-free methods of growing cattle and seafood as an alternative to industrialized farming and fishing. According to Steakholder Foods’ vice president of marketing, it is critical to detect commonalities between Jewish kosher and Muslim halal dietary standards when analyzing prospective demand for Israeli food tech products in Muslim-majority countries.
Like Steakholder Foods, Aleph Farms also intends to develop a presence in Muslim-majority ASEAN countries by supplying halal products. The Israeli food technology firm develops cultivated steaks from non-modified beef cells and, like its peer, is utilizing Singapore as a launch pad for the rest of the Southeast Asian region.
Israel has no official diplomatic connections with Indonesia, Malaysia, or Brunei in ASEAN. As the closest post, the Israeli Embassy in Singapore watches developments across the three neighboring nations. However, political restrictions are not deterring the country’s food tech start-ups.
(Source: Asia Nikkei)
