K A S H R U T . C O M_©

December 19, 2026 from Green Queen:

" warned of lax regulation in Brazil compared to Israel’s strict veterinary oversight. Additionally, there is concern about harming the livelihoods of some 6,000 families in peripheral communities, from the north to the Gaza periphery.

"A senior Rabbinate official summarized: 'Attempts to introduce poultry from countries with weak halachic supervision constitute a breach that cannot be tolerated. We will continue to stand firm against business attempts to undermine kosher standards. We will ensure that every chicken on Israel’s supermarket shelves is kosher, without compromise.'

"Swiss biotech plant The Cultured Hub is broadening its horizons with a move into future-friendly coffee and chocolate ingredients.

"Located in The Valley in Kemptthal, the platform has initially been focused on scaling up cellular agriculture products like cultivated meat and microbial proteins; it has now expanded its infrastructure and expertise to ingredients derived from plant cell culture technology.

"This involves growing plant cells in bioreactors by feeding them on sugar, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, eschewing the need for agricultural inputs like water or soil and ensuring a consistent, climate-resilient supply.

"The Cultured Hub will leverage the technology to help manufacturers produce cell-based cocoa, coffee and citrus ingredients, which face a host of supply chain and price pressures globally in the face of climate change.

"The hub’s expansion comes amid rising commodity prices, climate volatility and pressure on farm systems, issues exacerbated by growing demand for high-value ingredients.

"Cocoa stocks are the weakest in a decade, driving prices to all-time highs, and the cost of coffee has reached levels never seen before, with the area suitable for growing the crop shrinking. In both industries, a large share of trees are threatened due to the climate crisis.

"Some companies are looking to replicate these commodities by creating plant-based alternatives through fermentation and food tech, whereas plant cell culture can produce cocoa and coffee compounds, all minus the environmental challenges. According to The Cultured Hub, it’s a promising approach that enables controlled, year-round production independent of farmland, weather or disease.

"That said, plant cell culture remains an emerging field hindered by high costs, thanks to sterile bioreactors, energy-intensive controlled environments, and the complexity of plant cell biology. Scaling up from flasks to pilot systems is technically demanding and often beyond the reach of early-stage startups."