The technology to produce vegetable-based beef, fish, chicken and pork has been around for the past four years. Malaysian firm Phuture Food was one of the first to challenge the Impossible Meat company. Now researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have succeeded in producing squid meat made from vegetables using 3D printing.
The loop-shaped cuttlefish meat produced not only has the same texture as real meat but also has the same taste. NUS started researching vegetable-based meat because it was aware of the fact that in the future seafood resources will decrease. This is a huge issue for Singapore which imports 90% of its seafood supply.
To produce this 3D printed squid, NUS uses microalgae and green beans mixed with plant-based oil containing omega-3 fatty acids to ensure that it is nutritious to eat. Because it is vegetable-based, this squid meat can be safely consumed by those with seafood allergies.
Researchers will now produce more vegetable-based meat prototypes and assess how they can be developed for large scale. Climate change has already been seen to cause a reduction in the number of animals in the ocean. If this continues maybe in the future the only way to enjoy seafood is through vegetable based ones.