3D-printed salmon with fungi and multivitamins takes vegan fish filet to industrial level

Revo Foods’ 3D-printed salmon hits the supermarkets

It takes mycoprotein created from filamentous fungi to make Revo Food’s 3D-printed salmon named ‘THE FILET’, a vegan fish fillet packed with multivitamins and the start of a series of vegan seafood. Revo Food’s 3D-printed salmon contains Omega-3, all 9 essential amino acids, and Vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B12, and D2.

The Vienna-based food startup employs its own extrusion technology, which allows the 3D printer to integrate fats into a fibrous protein matrix. Through this, Revo Foods says it has developed a continuous production process capable of mass-producing 3D-printed food.

images by Revo Foods

Mycoprotein is used to create the 3D-printed salmon for its natural meat-like texture and minimal requirements for processing. Revo Foods is collaborating with the Swedish startup Mycorena for its ‘Promyc’ protein base, which is engineered specifically for 3D printing purposes.

The vegan fish fillet has already hit select supermarkets of BILLA under REWE group, one of the biggest European retailers, and customers across Europe who want to try the vegan fish filet can order it at Revo Foods’ online shop starting October 1st, 2023.

the vegan fish filet is made of mycoprotein created from filamentous fungi

Vegan fish filet is suggested as seafood alternative

To create the 3D-printed salmon, Revo Foods uses food-grade syringes to hold the printing material. The ingredients are then deposited through a food-grade nozzle layer by layer before injecting the filament-like matrix of the vegan fish fillet. The end result comes through as a salmon-inspired fish that is packed with nutritional values given the properties of mycoprotein.

‘This is not too unusual from other food production methods, which today already often can produce in a 3D shape. The main novelty with 3D food printing is that it can be performed in a much more controlled way, leading to products which could not be produced otherwise such as plant-based fish fillets,’ the team states.

Revo Foods says it has developed a production process capable of mass-producing 3D-printed food

Revo Foods dives into 3D printing for the food industry since up to 60 percent of global fish stocks are overfished. The team says that the fishing industry is also the main reason for plastic pollution in the oceans and that a collapse of marine biodiversity would be irreversible. On top of this, the demand for seafood still grows despite the loss of coral reefs and a spike in the levels of toxins and microplastics that pollute marine biodiversity.

Revo Foods then suggests vegan seafood as an alternative to meet the demand, all the while attempting to recreate the authentic taste that appeals to the flexitarian market. ‘With the milestone of industrial-scale 3D food printing, we are entering a creative food revolution, an era where food is being crafted according to the customer needs. We are not just creating a vegan alternative; we are shaping the future of food itself,’ says Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods.

The new technology leads Revo Foods tonew offerings of vegan alternatives with the typical ‘flakiness’ and the juicy fibers of conventional fish filets. The food startup also offers other plant-based products such as gravlax, or graved salmon, made with pea protein and smoked salmon with algae.