Netanyahu grants approval to Israeli company Remilk to sell ‘milk alternative’
Remilk has already received FDA approval in the U.S.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday evening that he will grant approval for an Israeli company to sell an animal-free milk alternative in Israel.
Netanyahu made the statement during a visit to Steakholder Foods in Rehovot, home to the Weizmann Institute of Science and Rehovot Science Park. While Netanyahu did not refer to the Israeli company by name, it is believed he was referring to Israeli company. Remilk, who was recently granted FDA approval to begin sales in the United States.
In March, the Prime Minister’s Office Dir.-Gen. Yossi Shelley and the prime minister’s animal rights advisor, Tal Gilboa, toured Remilk. The company does not sell directly to consumers; instead, it contracts with large food companies for production and distribution.
In the U.S., Remilk has partnered with General Mills, while in Israel it has partnered with Tara Dairy.
Even after announcing regulatory approval, it will take several months for the first Remilk products to hit the shelves in Israel. Remilk does not make milk substitutes, such as almond milk or other grain-based dairy alternatives.
Instead, the company uses yeast which is modified to produce real milk proteins, without any animals involved. Remilk products are also lactose-free.
Netanyahu has been involved with alternative food sources before. Besides his visit to Steakholder Foods, he visited Rehovot’s Aleph Farms in December 2020, in his previous term as prime minister.
“Israel is a global leader in the field of alternative protein and we will see to it that we continue to lead. Soon we will have new permits and new heights that will change the world,” Netanyahu said during his visit.
Last month, the Prime Minister’s Office stated it “views the issue of promoting alternative proteins as one of the country’s national goals.”
The PMO also said it views alternative proteins as “a solution for food security and that the supply and production of alternative proteins will strengthen the Israeli economy.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
