Austrian food-tech start-up Revo Foods has unveiled ‘Food Fabricator X2,’ the “world’s first” industrial production-method for 3D-printed foods.
The 3D process is set to enable new product categories for the first time, such as authentic whole-cut meat alternatives or products with customised shapes, structures or textures.
Featuring a novel multi-nozzle system, this innovation enables continuous food production, which Revo Foods says marks the first time that mass production of products is possible with 3D food printing technology.
Using a high-precision extrusion system, different ingredients can be combined with each other in any predefined structure, enabling the production of previously "impossible" products. The technology enables the new food industry segment of “mass customisation” for the first time, meaning the flexible control of product parameters such as sizes, shapes, materials or texture, without the need for hardware adjustments during the process.
A new area of application is the customisation of texture palettes for plant-based meat alternatives. The controlled integration of a fat component into a plant-based protein fibre matrix is essential for whole-cut meat alternatives such as steaks or fish fillets, though Revo Foods says that this has not yet been achievable with any other technology at a large scale, until now.
Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods, said: "3D food printing on an industrial level allows us to change the way we think about food. Products that were previously very exclusive and more likely to be found in gourmet restaurants can now be produced on a large scale. I am excited about the new creative opportunities that open up to food product developers with the help of this technology."
As a proof-of-technology, in September last year Revo Foods launched ‘The Filet – Inspired by Salmon,’ as reported by The Plant Base. The Filet used the technology for the first time – Revo FFX1 – marking the first scale-up of its 3D printing system. Revo Foods claims that the salmon fillet alternative, which is based on mycoprotein, was the “first 3D-produced food available in supermarkets”.
To increase production capacity and meet demand, Revo Foods has announced its first public investment opportunity in the form of digital company shares. Using the capital, the company’s first stage of upscaling will be completed over the next two years, with expected completion in 2025.
An investment in Revo Foods is possible until 18 April 2024. At the start of the first public investment round, the company has already raised €435,000, which it says underscores the public interest in the new technology and the company's mission. Investments in Revo Foods can be made through German green-tech investment platform FunderNation.
