Validation of new 3D printer as a prototyping equipment for plant-based beef

• Grant number: 22/13748-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering Design
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Eduardo de Santana Marques
• Grantee: Carlos Eduardo de Santana Marques
• Company: Centro de Treinamento e Inovação em Biofabricação 3D Ltda
• CNAE: Comércio varejista especializado de equipamentos e suprimentos de informática ; Educação profissional de nível tecnológico
• City: São Paulo
• Pesquisadores principais: Lucas Vinicius Maginador
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/09510-3 - Validation of a new 3D printer for prototyping a plant-based beef substitute, BP.TT

Abstract

The demand for plant-based meat is on the rise, and one possibility to reproduce the fibrous aspect of meats is the use of 3D printing. BioEdTech, a startup specialized in bioprinting and 3D printing for biotechnological and food applications, has partnered with a large industry in the food sector to create an innovative product through the use of 3D printing. Animal-derived meat production tends to both cause environmental impacts (increased consumption of water, energy, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution) and raise ethical issues associated with animal welfare. Due to these factors, there is a growing global movement for production of alternative proteins (e.g., derived from plants) to be used as analogues of animal meat. However, one of the main challenges is to achieve parameters such as appearance, texture, palatability and nutritional values similar to those of real meat. Therefore, new strategies capable of overcoming these challenges are urgently demanded. 3D printing allows the prototyping of foods with personalized nutritional content, reducing time, costs, pollution and without the need for animal slaughtering. By using plant-derived protein sources, 3D printing is able to deposit these ingredients, providing new gastronomic sensations, with texture, consistency and elasticity similar to real meat. Within this context, BioEdTech brings as an innovation proposal, the use of 3D printing, through its recently launched RevX printer, as an enabling technology, for the prototyping of vegan steaks, with characteristics similar to real meat. At this stage, Revx is going to be validated for prototyping the vegan steak, and the final technological solution comprises: (I) an equipment for additive manufacturing of the meat analogue, (II) equipment control systems and deposition process of pastes and (III) food pastes suitable for 3D printing/additive manufacturing of plant-based meat analogues with sensory characteristics similar to real meat. The rapid prototyping of the plant-based product using the RevX printer already launched by BioEdTech will help establish requirements for the three items that make up the final technological solution. (AU)