Scientists have developed plant-based steaks made from pea protein that closely mimic the marbling of real steaks, they claim.
Developed in Switzerland, the fake steak uses pea protein for the red “meat” and an oil-in-water emulsion for the lean lines of white fat.
Since the fat content of the emulsion can be significantly reduced, the plant-based steak is healthier than the animal-based original and also more ethical.
The steak will be ‘ready for the market’ in a year, although it’s not known exactly when it will be available in the UK.
Developed in Switzerland, the fake steak uses pea protein for the “tissue” and an oil-in-water emulsion with additives like vitamins for the fat
HOW ARE THE VEGAN MARBLED STEAKS MADE?
For his plant-based steak, Hofmann combines pea protein with carrot, pea and wheat fibers as well as oil, water, flavorings and spices.
Hofmann’s hardware consists of two extrusion dies—discs through which materials like playdough are pressed—one for the pea protein and one for the fat.
Hofmann’s specially developed software controls the merging process.
So the pea protein and fat are mixed together to recreate the random marbling patterns of premium meat.
The project is led by Martin Hofmann, materials scientist at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
Hofmann is not a vegan or even a vegetarian; He’s just a meat eater who intends to cut back on meat consumption and switch to a more plant-based diet.
“I would like to contribute to bringing a healthy, environmentally and animal-friendly substitute for high-quality meat onto the market that tastes like the animal-based original,” said Hofmann.
“Nature took its time creating bovine muscle tissue. It takes a lot of research to recreate it.’
For his plant-based steak, Hofmann combines pea protein with carrot, pea and wheat fibers as well as oil, water, flavorings and spices.
Both the pea protein blend and the fake animal fat (oil, water and additives like vitamins) are then squeezed into their own specially designed tubes.
Unlike traditional 3D printing techniques, the tubes continuously squeeze the protein dough and fat out like playdough and into a cap made of two flat pieces of glass.
Hofmann’s specially developed software controls the merging process.
In this way, the pea protein and fat are blended to recreate the random marbling patterns of premium meat.
Unlike traditional 3D printing techniques, the tubes continuously push the protein dough and fat like playdough into an attachment (consisting of two flat pieces of glass)
The merging process creates an arrangement between the fat and the artificial meat that resembles the marbling of a real steak
Marbling is the web of creamy white fat that oozes through a cut of beef, giving it great tenderness, juiciness and fullness. Pictured is a prime Kobe beef steak in Japan
BEEF MARBLEING
Marbling is the web of creamy white fat that oozes through a cut of beef, giving it great tenderness, juiciness and fullness.
When marbling is high, as in Japanese Kobe beef, the meat is considered to be of the highest quality.
Marbling is such an important quality feature of steaks that producers give their cuts a “Beef Marbling Score” (BMS).
In Japan, the BMS scale ranges from three (the basic minimum of marbling a steak should have) to 12 (almost white with marbling).
Hofmann now wants to bring his method onto the market and has founded a spin-off as part of a funding program at ETH Zurich.
Instead of producing and selling plant-based steaks himself, he plans to use his production technology to help other companies create authentic plant-based alternatives to high-quality meat.
“I want to make it a little easier for people to give up cheap, factory-farmed meat,” he said.
Many counterfeit meat products are already available in supermarkets today; However, according to Hofmann, plant-based alternatives for high-quality meat products such as steak were not readily available.
There is also a constant effort to replicate meat products as closely as possible so that a taster cannot tell the difference between the original and a plant-based copycat.
This isn’t the first marbled vegan steak; Last year, Delaware-based company Juicy Marbles introduced their vegan filet mignon steaks marbled with sunflower oil.
Rather than using 3D printing or scaffolding, Juicy Marbles uses a patent-pending machine to align the “meat” layers of fibers from the bottom up.
Hofmann (pictured) is neither vegan nor vegetarian; He’s just a meat eater who intends to cut back on meat consumption and switch to a more plant-based diet
This isn’t the first marbled vegan steak; Last year, Delaware-based company Juicy Marbles introduced their vegan filet mignon steaks (pictured) marbled with sunflower oil
Researchers at Osaka University in Japan have also developed a technique to 3D print stem cells from Waygu cows.
While such a technique is more ethical than slaughtering cattle, meat made in a lab from animal cells is not vegetarian, according to a recent study.
A meat-heavy diet not only endangers our health, but also that of our planet, as factory farming destroys habitats and generates greenhouse gases.
Livestock farming contributes to global warming due to methane, nitrous oxide and carbon emissions from livestock and their supply chains.
However, a full switch to plant-based foods seems unlikely; McDonald’s, one of the world’s largest meat buyers, told MailOnline in December that it had no plans to phase out beef.
3D-printed Wagyu beef grown from stem cells in the lab was unveiled by scientists in Japan in 2021
SHOULD YOU LIMIT UP TO RED MEAT? WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals in the diet.
The Department of Health advises that we eat no more than 70g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat per day, which is the average daily consumption in the UK.
This is mainly because there is a link between colon cancer and red meats like beef and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage and bacon.
A 2011 report titled Iron and Health by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) reviewed evidence linking colorectal cancer to iron — meat being the main source of iron.
SACN concluded that eating lots of red and processed meat likely increases the risk of colon cancer and advised accordingly.
The American Institute for Cancer Research advises us to eat no more than three servings of red meat a week and urges us to “avoid” processed meats.
Processed meat often contains nitrogen-based preservatives that prevent it from spoiling during shipping or storage.
These preservatives have been linked to both colon and stomach cancer.
When red meat is digested, the pigment heme is broken down in our gut to form chemicals called N-nitroso compounds.
These compounds have been found to damage the DNA of cells lining our digestive tract, which could lead to cancer.
Our bodies can also respond to this damage by causing cells to divide more quickly to replace those that are lost.
This “extra” cell division can increase the risk of cancer.
Cancer Research UK says three chemicals in meat are linked to colon cancer because they damage cells in the gut.
Red and processed meats have also been linked to type 2 diabetes.
This may be due to the preservatives used or the meat’s higher saturated fat content than chicken and fish.
However, researchers in Canada, Spain and Poland are casting a shadow over the dietary advice adopted by health organizations around the world in November 2019.
In a landmark paper, the scientists analyzed previous studies on how eating meat affects the health of more than four million people.
The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found no evidence that eating beef, pork, and lamb could increase rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke, or type 2 diabetes — despite fears.