- Title: Coming soon to a 3D printer near you: Plant-based steaks
- Date: 30th June 2020
- Summary: ALEXEY TOMSOV, FOOD ENGINEER, TESTS THE COOKED 3D PRINTED PLANT-BASED STEAK STEAK BEING TESTED (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEXEY TOMSOV, FOOD ENGINEER AT REDEFINE MEAT, HOLDING PICTURES OF MEAT CUTS, SAYING: "We analyse the different components that make those beautiful cuts and try to figure out which are the key components that we need to mimic in order to achieve those beautiful cuts of meat. We identified three main components, the muscle, the blood, and the fat. these are the components that we need to mimic on order to reach the perfect, beautiful steak." SOY BEANS, RICH IN PROTEIN, USED TO BUILD THE MUSCLE COMPONENT IN THE FORMULATION PLANT-BASED "BLOOD" FORMULATION FOOD TECHNICIANS WORKING AT LAB TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (JUNE 29, 2020) (REUTERS) POSTER OF ANIMALS AT STEAKHOUSE PEOPLE DINING AT STEAKHOUSE VARIOUS OF MEAT BEING COOKED VARIOUS OF MEAT BEING SERVED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DORON ZEMOUR, AGED 31, A WAITER, SAYING: "I think that 3D printed meat is a really great idea. A soon as it will be... as soon as the taste will be as good as regular meat I will definitely try it. I think it's a good thing for the environment and .. so we won't have to kill animals anymore. Sounds good." VARIOUS OF BUTCHER CLEANING BEEF CUT VARIOUS OF MEAT ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHIMI KARNI, AGED 43, OWNER OF A COMPUTER AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMPANIES, SAYING: "Using the 3D printer for making food helps to protect the environment, protect the animals, protect the killing of innocent animals. That's good. I'm looking forward to try this, I hope it's going to be good. At least as the original." REHOVOT, ISRAEL (JUNE 29, 2020) (REUTERS) REDEFINE FOUNDER ESHCHAR BEN SHITRIT AND ADAM LAHAV WALKING PAST COMPANY LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) ESHCHAR BEN SHITRIT, CEO AND COFOUNDER OF REDEFINE MEAT, SAYING: "For us having good meat in the lab in (the city of Rehovot) is not enough. We want to work with more and more chefs around the world, more and more big distributors, and we don't see a reason that this cannot be on the table of everybody in every country around the world. This is the biggest problem we face today as humanity and this is the best way to fight climate change, to deliver healthier solutions and food to the entire population of the planet." VARIOUS CHEF PREPARING COOKED 3D PRINTED STEAK FOR SERVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ESHCHAR BEN SHITRIT, CEO AND COFOUNDER OF REDEFINE MEAT, SAYING: "At the end of the day technology is important but what's more interesting is to have a really delicious and tasty food product that you can cut through (CUTTING STEAK) and have a bite, and be excited." BEN SHITRIT TASTING PRINTED STEAK
- Embargoed: 14th July 2020 12:46
- Keywords: 3D printers Israeli start-up Redefine Meat alternative meat market plant-based steak
- Location: REHOVOT AND TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- City: REHOVOT AND TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Life Sciences,Science,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA003CKKAQFT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Israeli start-up Redefine Meat plans to launch 3D printers to produce plant-based steaks mimicking real beef next year in a bid to win a slice of the fast-growing alternative meat market.
Plant-based meat products are becoming increasingly popular with consumers worried about animal welfare and the environment.
Based in Rehovot south of Tel Aviv, Redefine Meat will first market test its "Alt-Steak" at high-end restaurants later this year before rolling out its industrial-scale 3D printers to meat distributors in 2021.
"Our technology can create whole-muscle cuts just as a cow can produce that in a much more efficient way, with a lower cost and of course it's much better for the environment. So we are introducing a new category. We can do the entire cow, not only one part of the cow, that is actually a side stream. Stakes, roast, slow-cooking, grilling, everything that an animal can do we want to do the same or even better," Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, chief executive and co-founder of Redefine Meat, told Reuters.
He says the 3D printer mimics the structure of the muscle of the animal.
It can currently print 3-6 kg (6.6-13.2 pounds) of meat an hour but the machines it will launch will be able to print 20 kg (44 pounds) an hour next year and eventually hundreds, at a cheaper cost than real meat.
Founded in 2018, the company raised $6 million last year in a round led by CPT Capital, an investor in Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. It also received funds from Hanaco Venture Capital and German poultry group PHW.
Israel has numerous alternative and cultured meat start-ups. Aleph Farms developed lab-grown steak and expects to have a biofarm operational in late 2022. Meat-Tech 3D is combining 3D printing with the lab meat process.
Spanish competitor Novameat is also working on 3D-printed plant meat, including a whole-muscle pork cut developed during the coronavirus crisis that disrupted pork supply, in addition to steak.
At a Tel Aviv steakehoue, diners welcomed the idea of replacing meat with plant-based solutions, "as soon as the taste will be as good as regular meat", said 31-year-old Doron Zemour.
"We don't see a reason that this cannot be on the table of everybody in every country around the world. This is the biggest problem we face today as humanity and this is the best way to fight climate change, to deliver healthier solutions and food to the entire population of the planet.," said Ben Shitrit, before taking a bite out of the 3D printed steak.
(Production: Eli Berlzon, Ilan Rosenberg, Rami Amichay, Lee Marzel) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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