3D printing has been described because the ‘tech of the longer term’. For Revo Meals, it is rather a lot the tech of the current.
Revo produces mycoprotein meat and fish alternate options by 3D printing expertise. Notably, it just lately produced and launched the ‘world’s first’ 3D-printed smoked salmon fillet final yr.
Now, the corporate has introduced a brand new printer, the ‘Meals Fabricator X2’, which might customise shapes, constructions and textures, and has a multi-nozzle system that may print a number of merchandise without delay.
Revo can be planning to upscale manufacturing with the cash it hopes to lift from a deliberate launch of digital shares to the general public.
Steady manufacturing
Revo’s new expertise allows steady meat analogue manufacturing which, the corporate says, is the primary time mass manufacturing of such merchandise has been attainable with 3D printing.
The corporate’s printer is “a very new manufacturing equipment to allow the structuring of advanced, heterogeneous meals objects with 3D applied sciences. 3D Meals Printing existed for some time, however we developed (and patented) some most important elements which now allow us to carry this expertise to the commercial scale,” Revo Meals’ CEO Robin Simsa informed FoodNavigator.
The corporate’s new extrusion print-head design, for instance, allows a steady circulate of supplies for the primary time. Earlier than this, a extra labour-intensive batch course of was the order of the day. “With this answer it’s attainable to work with enormous materials volumes with out guide labour enter. Clearly, this has an enormous impact on the price.”
Secondly, the multi-nozzle print head design can produce many merchandise on the identical time. “Whereas dosing techniques with a number of nozzles have already been in use within the meals business for many years, that is the primary time that this technique is being integrated in a 3D meals printing setup.”
Lastly, a modular plug and play system connects the manufacturing machines. “This manner, we are able to enable a modular scale-up of the manufacturing to happen, and digitally management the entire manufacturing when it comes to completely different product varieties and designs. No extra {hardware} adjustments are wanted between completely different product varieties, which is one other enormous benefit.”
3D printing is especially suited to ‘structured’ and ‘advanced’ merchandise resembling complete minimize filets and steaks, Simsa informed us, versus ‘non-structured’ merchandise resembling burgers and rooster nuggets. “3D Meals Printing is basically the managed mixture of two completely different meals substances into new constructions. Different applied sciences (e.g. extrusion) are uncontrolled, subsequently higher suited to non-structured merchandise.
“Relating to advanced objects, 3D Meals Printing is the primary expertise that actually permits the mixing of a fats section into the plant-protein fibre matrix, which is the important thing for these merchandise to achieve new sensory ranges. In abstract, each applied sciences can be utilized for various product functions, and 3D printing is extra appropriate for high-value, totally structured meat alternate options.”
Customising meat and seafood
Whereas most well-known for its seafood alternate options, Revo Meals additionally produces meat alternate options. Simsa sees alternatives in each. Specifically, that 3D printing will make merchandise extra customisable and extra different.
“There’s a enormous curiosity from large meals producers for “mass customisation”, that means the power to provide small batches of particular person merchandise for particular person buyer teams, with out essentially resulting in increased manufacturing prices.
“Proper now, that is unattainable, as a result of all meals equipment is constructed for large scale of equivalent merchandise, however we imagine that with new applied sciences resembling 3D meals printing and the thrilling new merchandise that may be created like this, there’s a new inventive impulse for meals product builders and the meals business as an entire on the way in which. Why not introduce some loopy new shapes and constructions or mixture of various substances which have been earlier than solely attainable in Michelin-star eating places, however not as a client good in supermarkets? We imagine that may be a stunning future to work in direction of.”
The primary advantages of the tech, believes Simsa, are: its flexibility, as it may possibly create many several types of merchandise with a single machine; its controllability, having the ability to management the distribution of supplies inside a product; and creativity, no theoretical limits on the kind of product that may be produced.
Revo’s merchandise are, reasonably than being plant-based, mycoprotein-based as an alternative. In line with Simsa, that is down to 3 components: well being, style, and client data.
“Mycoprotein has a whole amino acid profile and a really clear style. Additionally, customers find out about the advantages of fungi and mycoprotein, and to date we had a improbable client reception based mostly on this substances, and many individuals shopping for the product particularly because of this. Additionally, we might obtain Nutri-Rating “A” in our merchandise due to the usage of this ingredient,” he informed us.
Funding, upscaling and diversification
After the discharge of its first product, ‘THE FILET – Impressed by Salmon’, in September final yr, Revo is rising in confidence, and has introduced plans to introduce digital shares to be purchased by the general public.
“We at the moment are organising every thing for our subsequent step in upscaling: A manufacturing plant with a number of tons of output, which we are going to understand till summer time 2024 in Vienna, and begin getting into meals retail on a significant stage,” Simsa informed FoodNavigator.
The corporate can be planning on increasing from simply easy meat and seafood complete cuts to different merchandise as nicely. “Whereas we have been solely targeted on utilizing our expertise for meat alternate options to start with, we have been contacted by a number of corporations over the previous years which might be fascinated with utilizing this expertise for different product varieties (e.g. snacks, pasta or stuffed meals with loopy shapes or varieties or customized merchandise). We imagine there’s a large worth in enlarging our technological focus and providing our manufacturing expertise to different meals producers as nicely, ranging from the top of 2024.
“This manner, we are able to guarantee a brand new inventive impulse for the choice meat business, but in addition for the broader meals business itself, enlarging our use-case additionally as a expertise supplier. Our objective is to grow to be the chief in 3D manufacturing tools for the meals business, which is likely to be a distinct segment enterprise for the time being, however one that’s certain to grow to be very priceless as the probabilities of this expertise grow to be accessible to extra producers.”
