3D printed “salmon” is now on the market – what is it made of?
All fish suitable for printing.
The world’s first 3D printed vegan salmon is currently floating off the shelves in Austrian supermarkets – and its creator has high hopes for the futuristic fillets.
“With the milestone of 3D food printing on an industrial scale, we are entering a creative food revolution, an era in which food is produced according to the needs of customers,” said Robin Simsa, CEO of the Vienna food tech startup Revo Foods.
“We’re not just creating a vegan alternative; We are shaping the future of food ourselves,” boasted Simsa.
The 100% vegan protein-rich fish alternative consists of mushrooms as well as omega-3, all nine essential amino acids and vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B12 and D2. according to Revo. It contains no sugar, gluten or cholesterol.
Revo worked with food startup Mycorena to develop a type of mycoprotein, a protein derived from a fungus, made specifically for 3D printing. IFLScience reported.
The product is already sold out on the Revo website and costs around $7.50 there. The company currently delivers to Austria and Germany and will deliver to the rest of the EU countries from October.
In response to a comment asking when the food would be available in the US, a rep for the brand wrote: “Hopefully soon!! Stay tuned ❤️🔥.”
Revo describes itself as a “seafood company that saves fish” and says it has protected more than 18,000 fish since it began production. According to their website, the vegan version produces 77 to 86% less CO2 than regular salmon. They also use 95% less fresh water.
Meanwhile, Israeli company Steakholder Foods developed the first 3D bioprinted grouper earlier this year.
The grouper, developed in collaboration with Umami Meats, “is ready to cook once printed and does not harm the environment like fishing does,” Mihir Pershad, CEO of Umami Meats, told South West News Service. Steakholder Foods uses cells from fish and other animals to grow meat and protect animals.
Also earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted permission to two different manufacturers — Upside Foods and Good Meat — to sell “cell-cultured” meat that does not come from killed animals.
This came just months after the Food and Drug Administration deemed cell-cultured, lab-produced chicken safe for consumption.
Unlike Revo’s food, which contains no animal products, lab meat is made from cells derived from a live animal, a fertilized cell, or a bank of stored cells. It is grown in bioreactors.
