An Israeli publicly-traded company with its North American headquarters in St. Louis opened an $18 million production facility Thursday focused on producing “alternative protein,” or plant-based substitutes that look and taste like meat.

Israel Chemicals Ltd., more commonly known as ICL (NYSE: ICL), is a global specialty-minerals company based in Tel Aviv with offices around the world, including its U.S. headquarters in Creve Coeur in the 39 North Innovation District. St. Louis is a growing focal point of the plant-based foods sector, with companies such as Hungry Planet and Benson Hill producing new products alongside investments from corporate giants like Anheuser-Busch and Post Holdings. READ MORE