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Italian Bioengineer Develops 3D-Printed Vegan Steak From Plant-Based Proteins (dezeen.com)

Posted by msmash on from the marching-forward dept.

Italian bioengineer Giuseppe Scionti from Spanish startup Novameat has invented the "world's first" 3D-printed meat-free steak made from vegetable proteins, which mimics the texture of beef. From a report: Vegan ingredients such as rice, peas and seaweed, which provide the amino acids needed for a healthy diet, are turned into a food paste that is 3D-printed to form a raw, steak-like substance. Despite an abundance of meat-free products already on the market that taste similar to animal meats, Scionti found that these are limited to imitation burgers, chicken nuggets or meatballs. None of the offerings reproduce a piece of "fibrous flesh" such as steak or chicken breast. In an effort to reduce the impact of animal agriculture and to improve people's nutrition, the Milanese researcher set out to create a plant-based alternative to "fleshy" meat products.

7 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. 3D printed? by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Really? If a paste going through a nozzle counts as "3D printed", every tube of Cake Mate needs a new label.

    Seriously, I thought 3D printing hype died down years ago?

    If you'll excuse me, I have to go 3D print some paste on my toothbrush before I go to bed...

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    Mostly random stuff.
    1. Re:3D printed? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Really? If a paste going through a nozzle counts as "3D printed"

      No, it's but everything being made in it's entirety from a robot controlled extruded is pretty much going to be labeled "3d printed". The correct term is additive manufacturing. Feel free to flip a table or two because it's not going away.

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      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    2. Re:3D printed? by Libro · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I know this is slashdot, but that's an absurd rant. The machine in the article looks very similar to the 3d printer on my desk. It just extrudes a different material to the plastic mine extrudes. Why the problem with the term 3d printed ? It's a perfectly useful term with a clear meaning, which in my view is used quite suitably in this context. Some here say the "correct" term is additive manufacturing - well I'd say that's just an alternative term. There's nothing incorrect about calling something 3d printing if it's coming from a machine that extrudes a material to create three dimensional objects layer by layer. And it's not a hype. It's an extremely useful technology that is now becoming cheap enough to be available domestically. It's like calling smartphones a hype ten years ago. Or the internet. Is that a hype ? I genuinely believe that all of these new and innovative applications of 3d printing, particularly with new kinds of materials, like in this article, are examples of they way manufacturing is being turned on its head. Extraordinary things are happening, and I for one am really interested in reading about them.

  2. Re:I don't get vegans by Brett+Buck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you try to apply logical and rational thought to a vegan die-hard, you are going to be really disappointed.

  3. Re:It isn't steak... by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why are vegans obsessed with making stuff that isn't meat into something they can call "meat". Surely a vegan is not interested in the appeal of something that sounds like meat, and a non vegan surely is not fooled into thinking that mushy brownish bean curd is a substitute for a nice, rare and bloody steak.

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    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  4. Re:It isn't steak... by Type44Q · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The word "meats" and "steak" aren't specific the way the word "beef" is:

    think nutmeats and tuna steaks.

  5. Re:It isn't steak... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Your parent replied to a "totality projection". The "we are not obsessed" is true if one person (your parent) doesn't fit the GP's "totality".

    Learn to follow threads.