Angus Cultivated Beef Tasting at the Iceland Innovation Week
ORF Genetics and UK cultivated-meat producer Ivy Farm Technologies hosted a well-attended tasting of cultivated Angus beef at Iceland Innovation Week, alongside panel discussions on the role of cultivated meat and seafood in tackling climate change.
Iceland, May 16, 2024 - The Icelandic biotechnology company ORF Genetics and Ivy Farm Technologies, the English producers of cultivated meat, hosted a well-attended event at the Iceland Innovation Week on May 16th, featuring interesting panel discussions and a tasting of cultivated beef.
Angus beef is considered top-of-the-line in terms of high-quality meat, and at the event, ORF and Ivy Farm offered delicious meatballs made from cultivated meat from Angus beef cells. Chef Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, owner and chef of the renowned Reykjavík restaurant Brút, prepared the course, serving meatballs that a few lucky attendees were able to enjoy.
"I couldn’t believe how enjoyable it was to work with cultivated beef, which is essentially just meat grown using new technology. In fact, it would be very difficult or even impossible for most foodies to distinguish between cultivated beef and traditionally grown. Cultivated meat is, of course, not singular; it can be grown from the cells of any animal, and it will be very exciting to see these environmentally friendly options develop further. High-quality protein that can appeal to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!"
Chef Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, owner of Brút.
Iceland Innovation Week is held annually in May with the purpose of promoting Icelandic innovation and businesses. The event featured panel discussions, where Ásthildur Otharsdóttir moderated a conversation between Riley Jackson from Ivy Farm, Björn Lárus Örvar, co-founder of ORF Genetics, and Birgitta Guðrún Schepsky Ásgrímsdóttir, co-founder of Sea Growth, about the importance of cultivated meat and seafood in the fight against climate change. Many stakeholders from the food and technology industries attended, along with Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Education, Industry, and Innovation, and Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
ORF Genetics has put significant effort in recent years into enabling the production of cultivated meat by providing high-quality animal growth factors from barley. The company has worked to build a product line for the cultivated meat market while increasing its production capacity to meet growing demand.