Juicy sirloin steaks hot from a 3D printer are on the menu this year as the booming fake meat market offers to attract even stubborn carnivores.
Israel’s Redefine Meat Ltd. targets steakhouses and other restaurants in Israel, Europe and Asia with its 3D-printed facsimiles of beef cuts, from fillet to rump to brisket. The startup just raised $ 29 million to build a pilot factory and sell it later this year, it said this week.
“We want to change the belief that delicious meat can only come from animals,” said CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit.
The demand for alternative proteins has increased as environmental and health concerns lead consumers to products like artificial burgers or nuggets. This has brought investors and food giants from Nestle SA to McDonald’s Corp. attracted, although more needs to be done to improve the taste of products and lower prices to compete with traditional meat.
Redefine tries to take plant-based products to the next level by offering diners the same sensory experience as consuming top-quality beef. Last week, another Israeli startup, Aleph Farms Ltd., unveiled the first slaughter-free ribeye steak.
While Redefine is still working on the flavor, 3D printers loaded with vegetable “ink” can print the meat countless times and restore the correct texture.
“Our meat today is the same as some other cuts of meat,” said Redefine’s CEO. “You can’t tell.”
– Bloomberg News