Vienna-based food-tech company Revo Foods has partnered with Belgian plant-based food developer Paleo to develop more realistic 3D printed vegan salmon.
The project has received €2.2 million in funding from the European Union-backed Eureka Eurostars programme. This capital will be used by Paleo to create a specially fermented Myoglobin protein, which will be added to Revo Foods’ 3D printed vegan salmon filet alternative: ‘THE FILET – Inspired by Salmon.’
Myoglobin is a heme protein essential to the taste and nutritional value of meat. While usually found in animal muscle tissue, it can be fermented and added to vegan alternatives to provide the taste, color, high-iron content, and aroma of the real thing.
According to Revo Foods, 3D printing allows multiple materials to be integrated into the salmon filet to enhance meat-like properties. For instance, fats can be combined with protein components to create an authentic white stripe. The company also claims that its 3D printing process unlocks substantial sustainability advantages, saving up to 90% of fresh water and 75% of CO2 compared to conventional fish products.
Revo Foods and Paleo optimize 3D printed salmon
Revo Foods was founded out of a 2017 EU-based additive manufacturing research project led by a group of international students. The team developed an extrusion-based salmon 3D printing technology initially called Legendary Vish, it has since rebranded to Revo Foods and upscaled its production capabilities. Its 3D printed meat substitutes are now available in supermarkets and select restaurants.
The company’s products seek to address the significant environmental challenges currently facing the meat market. Revo Foods has attested that 90% of fish species are on the verge of exploitation, while 30% are being overfished.
High toxin and microplastic levels in fish products are creating concerns that have catalyzed changing attitudes in the $400 billion fish market. Notably, many sellers and consumers are turning to meat-free alternatives. To address this growing demand, Revo Foods launched ‘THE FILET’ in September last year. 3D printed on the company’s Food Fabricator 3D printer, the mycoprotein-based salmon was the first 3D printed food to be sold in supermarkets.
Now, with the new funding from Eureka Eurostars, Revo Food’s 3D printed salmon filet is set for an upgrade. The two-year partnership with Paleo, which began in August 2024, will develop a new fermented Myoglobin to be added to the company’s salmon recipe. Paelo’s fermentation process is completely free of animal use and delivers a protein that features no genetically modified organisms (GMO).
The addition of Myoglobin is expected to make the vegan filet’s appearance, taste, texture, and iron and protein content more closely reflect real salmon, broadening its appeal to more customers.
3D printing meat-free alternatives
While the industry is yet to witness a boom in 3D printed food, Revo Foods is not the only company targeting this application. Redefine Meat has also commercialized 3D printed vegan meat.
The company launched its first product, Alt-Steak, back in 2020. Fabricated using its food 3D printers, this meat-free steak alternative is said to be 95% more sustainable than its farmed counterparts. It features Redefine Meat’s proprietary set of plant-based ingredients: Alt-Muscle, Alt-Fat, and Alt-Blood.
The following year, the firm introduced a new range of 3D printed meat to restaurants and hotels in Israel. These plant-based offerings feature 3D-printed hamburgers, sausages, lamb kebabs, and ground beef. The range received praise from leading chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Michelin-starred Ron Blaauw.
Elsewhere, SavorEat, an Israel-based 3D printed meat alternative producer, offers kosher gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-free pork patties. The product range includes vegan turkey hamburgers and meat-free beef burgers. According to Racheli Vizman, the company’s CEO and co-founder, these 3D printed foods were developed for SavorEat’s primary market in the US.
This launch followed the news in 2020 that the company had raised $13 million from an IPO on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. At floatation, the company was valued at $51.2 million. Based in Rehovot, SavorEat is reportedly driven by the need to support sustainability goals by reducing emissions and cutting waste. “We aim to provide greater variety and customization, to empower the planet to eat differently, with more healthy and sustainable options to reduce ecological impact,” explained Vizman.
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Featured image shows Revo Foods 3D printed salmon filet. Photo via Revo Foods.
