The Emergence of 3D Printing Technology in the Plant-Based Food Sector
A recent report by Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) predicted that the plant-based food market will exceed $162 billion by 2030. Product innovation coupled with an influx of flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans is driving the plant-based food sector forward.
While leaders such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods contribute to the momentum with their infamous plant-based burgers through strategic restaurant and retail partnerships, a small handful of companies have endeavoured to fill industry gaps by cultivating plant-based meat cuts, such as steak, lamb and pork chops. Although replicating the taste and texture of animal-derived meat is no easy task, the emergence of three-dimensional printing (3D printing) in the food industry proves it is possible.
Commonly used in the healthcare sector to construct artificial limbs and in the automotive industry to manufacture parts, 3D printing refers to a process that creates physical objects from a digital blueprint by laying down thin layers of material and fusing them together.
In 2020, Givaudan, a global leader in flavours and fragrances, partnered with Redefine Meat, a food-tech startup based in Israel, to develop the world’s first Alt-Steak™ by combining artificial intelligence and 3D printing technology. Recognizing the increasing demand for alternative, plant-based protein, Givaudan used its revolutionary capabilities in flavour and taste to ensure the Alt-Steak™ product precisely replicates the flavours, aromas and experience of animal-derived meat. The partnership allowed Redefine Meat to create a patented 3D printer that layers three materials (Alt-MuscleTM, Alt-FatTM, and Alt-BloodTM) made entirely from plant-based ingredients to create products that “look, taste, and feel like the muscle, fat and blood of a typical cut of meat – without slaughtering cows or other animals.” Shortly after launching in Israel, Redefine Meat expanded across Europe. However, endless innovation opportunities in North America’s plant-based food sector remain, and as Jennifer Bartashus, Senior Consumer Staples Analyst at BI, claims: “food-related consumer habits often come and go as fads, but plant-based alternatives are here to stay – and grow.”
Author: Ayesha Khanna, 2022 Summer Student-at-law
Expertise
Insights
-
Technology
CanCode, Digital Literacy Program, Receives $39.2 Million in Federal Funding
From establishing the Digital Charter to earmarking $2.4 billion for the artificial intelligence (“AI”) industry in the 2024 federal budget, the Canadian government has consistently demonstrated its… -
Technology
Virtuix Announces Launch of their Omni One VR Treadmill
Virtuix recently revealed it will be launching a virtual reality treadmill—called Omni One—on September 10, 2024. The first of its kind, Omni One allows users to experience the locomotive elements of… -
Technology
WELL Health Plans to Spin Out and Publicly List WELL Provider Solutions
WELL Health (WELL) has announced its plans to spin out and publicly list WELL Provider Solutions (WPS), the company’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business unit.WELL, founded in 2012 and listed on the… -
Technology
Perceptive Space Raises $3.9 Million to Predict Space Weather Using AI
Perceptive Space, a Canadian aerospace startup, closed a CAD $3.9 million (USD $2.8 million) pre-seed funding round. This marks the company’s first external funding to date. The round was led by… -
Technology
Advancing Femtech: Flo Health Secures $200 Million in Series C Funding
Flo Health is a London-based startup that designed a health app for fertility and period-tracking. On July 30, 2024, it raised $200 million in Series C funding from General Atlantic. Flo Health is now… -
Technology
The Microsoft and NVIDIA Collaboration
As modern medicine develops, it increasingly relies on technological advancements. One of the more recent and major examples of this is Microsoft’s collaboration with NVIDIA to bring the power of…