Nova Meat is 3D printing steak made from peas and seaweed
The Nova Meat machine can produce almost a quarter of a pound of raw vegetarian steak in less than a hour and 4 oz serving costs around $3. With scaling up of production, that cost would drop dramatically.
CAMERON: ‘Science and meat have come together in recent years like marshmallows and campfires… Some are growing muscle tissue in lab settings while others seek to simulate the flavor and texture of meat with plant-based proteins, fiber, and amino acids… The lab-grown meat scores higher on texture… but is currently prohibitively expensive to offer in stores and restaurants. That means there’s currently an under-served market of people that want a meat alternative with the fibrous texture of a cut of meat, and that’s where Giuseppe Scionti’s Nova Meat could carve up the competition.
Scionti has developed the meat-free food using protein powder from rice or peas and components of seaweed. Using CAD software Scionti designed a program to turn the ingredients into “meat”. The ingredients are inserted into a machine using a syringe and then into a long micro-filament to be shaped into a steak. The ‘straw-coloured paste’ is said to have a similar texture to genuine steaks. The machine can produce almost a quarter of a pound of raw vegetarian steak in less than a hour.
Scionti even holds a patent on the plant-based meat substitute, saying, “The patent is on the microstrain that imitates the natural structure of meat tissue.” The 3D printer was developed by Scionti at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain and he started Nova Meat last year to commercialize his tasty results… Cost is one of the biggest hurdles in the not-meat meat sector, and the Nova Meat is around $3 per 4 oz serving. With scaling up of production, that cost would drop dramatically.
Sustainability of the product is important to Scionti, which is why he chose to work with the proteins and amino acids of readily available peas and rice… The desire for meat is rising globally, but the resources consumed and emissions produced by the raising of cattle and the transportation and storage of meat for that growing taste for meat are greater than the environment can handle… Scionti is already working with local chefs to dial in the flavor, and once they do, we can expect to see 3D printed steaks on the menu’. SOURCE…
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