3D-Printed Steak That You Can Eat
Did you know that there is a 3D printed steak that you can eat? It was 3 something in the morning and I couldn’t sleep, so I scrolled through Twitter and saw this tweet about 3D-printed meat:
A taste of what's to come.
🔎 Learn more about how technology is fighting food waste: https://t.co/3cUk2nUkWa pic.twitter.com/jrDQqbFJv2
— World Economic Forum (@wef) March 9, 2020
Just in case this was real and not some trippy dream I was having while half awake, I bookmarked it.
In this tweet by the World Economic Forum, they share a taste of what is to come. This is an effort to use technology to fight food waste. The video shows a steak being printed from a 3D printer. Yes, a steak that you can throw some A1 and Tabasco on and call it a day. The steak, made from pea and rice protein, rapeseed fat, and algae fibers, is printed in layers to mimic muscle fibers.
CEO and founder of Novameat, Giuseppe Scionti, shares his thoughts in the video provided by Reuters. “When we tear this apart, you see the fibers because we are trying to replicate what is inside the muscle of an actual animal.” Taking only 20 minutes to print a plant-based steak, Scionti calls his machine a personal Nespresso. The cost is around the same price as an actual steak in the grocery store. 1 kilo or just over 2 pounds equals $30. Steaks made from plant-based materials are not the only thing Scionti is printing.
The CEO of Novameat wants to create a range of 3D-printed meat alternatives. “We are trying to do the most complex ones and we are starting with salmon,” he says in the video. According to the United Nations, there will be around 10 billion people on the planet by 2050. We have to feed them somehow.
With livestock already creating 14.5% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions every year, we definitely need to think of creative options for feeding the masses. Doing so in a sustainable way is a challenge that needs to be met. “Imagine a future where somebody can have this machine at home and create customized food in their kitchen,” Scionti says. Imagine, next to your coffeemaker you have your 3D meat printer and you can print your own steak and eggs for breakfast.
Featured image courtesy Novameat
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