3D-printing a plant-based seafood alternative

Grocery stores offer many plant-based alternatives to beef, pork and poultry. But scientists say it’s hard to replicate the flavor, texture and nutritional content of seafood using plant-based sources. So researchers developed a new approach for simulating seafood and used it to make a snack inspired by fried calamari rings from squid. They combined two types of sustainable plant-based proteins, then used a 3D printer to shape the rings and give them a variety of textures to mimic real calamari. The research is being presented at ACS Fall 2023, a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Watch an interview with the researchers.

To read an ACS press release about this research: 3D-printed vegan seafood could someday be what’s for dinner

Source Article

“Effects of microalgae and mung bean protein combination on 3D printing of seafood analogs”
Aug. 13, 2023
Presenter: Poornima Vijayan
Principal Investigator: Dejian Huang, Ph.D.

Transcript

Narrator: Researchers used 3-D printing to turn plant-based proteins into a flavorful and fryable seafood alternative. Grocery stores offer many plant-based alternatives to beef, pork and poultry. But seafood alternatives can be harder to find. Scientists say it’s hard to replicate the flavor, texture, and nutritional content of seafood using plant-based sources.

Dejian Huang: And so how can we actually achieve the vegetable-based equivalent of the seafood that is tasty and nutritious, in the meantime is affordable to the vast majority of the consumers? It is certainly a challenge to the scientists and technologists.

Narrator: So researchers developed a new approach for simulating seafood and used it to make a snack inspired by fried calamari rings from squid. To achieve a squid-like nutritional profile, the researchers combined two types of sustainable plant-based proteins. Then they mixed in plant oils rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish. They used a 3-D printer to shape the rings and give them a variety of textures to mimic real calamari. Then they cooked the rings in an air fryer and analyzed the results.

Poornima Vijayan: We have tried the air fried calamari rings and definitely it had a crispy texture on the outside and the interior was a bit chewy, which is pretty much comparable to a real calamari ring that we get in the market. But however, full-scale consumer research is still pending and consumer acceptability still needs to be vetted on this part.

Narrator: The research is being presented at ACS Fall 2023, a meeting of the American Chemical Society.