Experts create 3D printed meat made from cocoa butter

Experts combine plant-based ingredients such as wheat and soy proteins, and cocoa butter, to create "meat powder" for the 3D printer.

Animal meat substitutes are becoming increasingly popular around the world. In a study published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology, a team of experts at Zhejiang University developed a new method to combine plant-based materials to create a 3D-printed meat substitute. Among them, the best recipe requires a unique additional ingredient, cocoa butter, extracted from cocoa beans used to make chocolate, SciTechDaily reported on December 28.

3D printed meat substitutes made from plant-based ingredients, including cocoa butter.

There are countless reasons why many people avoid animal meat such as animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Many meat substitutes today use plant-based proteins, usually soy and wheat, that can mimic the texture and nutritional value of real meat.

Experts Songbai Liu and Shanshan Wang at Zhejiang University wanted to create a "meat meal" with soy and wheat proteins that could be efficiently produced using a 3D printer. They tested recipes containing wheat protein, soy and other ingredients with a 3D printer and then evaluated them on accuracy and their ability to maintain their shape when the printer printed the meat meal. They also examine the texture and microstructure of the product.

Tests show the importance of some additional ingredients, for example emulsifier Tween-80 and sodium alginate, for texture control. Heat-sensitive cocoa butter is a particularly important ingredient, making the dough more pliable at warm temperatures for printing, then hardening at room temperature, allowing the powder to retain its shape when printed.

One drawback is that people who are allergic to wheat or soy gluten will not be able to eat the new meat. To solve this problem, the scientists tried to replace soy protein with pea protein, but the result was that the dough was too soft and unsuitable for printing. Still, the trials help identify a new avenue for formulating meat substitutes, according to the team.