After a false start, 3D food printing or ‘structuring’ could be about to take off, as a new cohort of startups takes the technology to the next level of sophistication and scale. We spoke to Austria-based Revo Foods, one of the companies that is redefining 3D food printing.
3D food printing is not new – there was a lot of hype around this manufacturing technology about a decade ago when machines like the Chefjet and the Foodini made headlines. However in the interim, it has all gone rather quiet. Or at least it had until last September when Austrian startup Revo Foods announced that its 3D printed vegan salmon fillet was to launch in REWE supermarket in Vienna.
The technology that is used to make this plant-based salmon fillet – Revo’s patented MassFormer technology – is very different to the first generation of 3D printing machines, said Robin Simsa, the company’s founder and CEO.
“Basically, they were simple systems that consisted of a syringe and a motor-controlled piston that pushed down on the syringe. They couldn’t really be used for production - they were more for R&D and experimentation - and you could almost do the same by hand, so they weren’t exactly moving the needle,” he told this publication.
As well as being limited in their scale, syringe-based systems are limited in their scope – they can’t work with viscous materials such as proteins, for example.
Driven by the belief that 3D printing “can do more”, in 2020, Simsa, then a PhD student, founded Revo Foods to explore how the technology could be used for combining different ingredients. This resulted in the development of what the company claims is the first ever continuous process for mass-producing 3D-printed food. Its solution uses a screw-based extrusion system and a multi-nozzle system to enable higher volume, higher speed production.
“Basically, we are combining technologies that have been used in the food industry for decades with 3D kinematics to achieve new textures,” he said.
Asked what is meant by 3D kinematics, he explained: “This is simply a movement in three axes. Most food production systems already work in two axes of movement and we simply combine that with a third axis to allow the creation of more complex shapes.”
He added: “It is about combining materials in different ways that can’t be achieved through other methods. We don’t only do it for the appearance, which is what a lot of people think. We do it to achieve new functionality,” he said.
He acknowledged that the term ‘printing’ is misleading, saying: “We are actually searching for a new name. I think ‘additive food manufacturing’ or ‘structuring’ are closer to the reality.”
Using this structuring process, the company claims to have recreated the flakiness of a fish fillet using mycoprotein.
“Our technology allows the fat to be applied within a protein phase,” explained Simsa. “What this means is that when you heat the product up, because the fat phase has a lower melting point it melts a little, but stays within the product matrix because it is integrated within the protein fibres. This keeps the product juicy and results in this flaky quality whereby when you press it with a fork it separates into layers.”
Simsa said another potential application for the technology could be plant-based steak.
“Essentially, this technology is ideal for replicating the texture of whole cut meats or for creating more complex textures. Conventional extrusion technology works fine for burgers and chicken nuggets because these are very simple textures, but if you want to create something that feels heterogenous, as though it is a combination of fat and muscle, this is where our technology comes in,” he said.
He added that the MassFormer process is far gentler than conventional extrusion technology, which requires high temperature and high pressure to form structures.
It also offers scope for tapping into the mass customisation trend, as it is completely software controlled, so no hardware adjustments are needed to move to a different shape or structure, he said.
Revo Foods is using mushroom protein for its salmon fillets, because it is “super sustainable” and has “one of the best nutritional profiles around,” according to Simsa. However, he said the process could be used to increase the value of any biomass.
“It takes boring ingredients and makes them attractive to consumers by recreating them in a form that is more appealing. Ultimately, it is a texturisation platform,” he said.
But Revo Foods’ ambition isn’t to become a household name – it is to produce on behalf of food brands and to help them to develop more innovative products.
“We want to have a brand to test new use cases in the market, but on a limited scale. What we actually want to do is produce for others,” said Simsa.
Whilst he said it is a bit early for selling the machines, he confirmed Revo Foods is in the process of building a production facility to showcase that its technology works reliably at scale.
“Nobody believes that this technology is scalable so I’m very excited for the next step when we can finally show it.”
