Forbes, by Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner: Rumors about 3D-printed meat circulating on American supermarket shelves proliferated social media feeds this fall, but there’s some truth behind the AI-generated fear-mongering. While standard meat and seafood products are not being secretly swapped with 3D-printed counterparts, an Israel-based company has launched its own versions of 3D-printed proteins in the U.S.
Perfecta Premium Plant-Based Meat, a subsidiary of tech-food company Steakholder Foods Ltd. (STKH), has rolled out at supermarkets across the northeast, in partnership with KeHE Distributors, which distributes natural and specialty food across the U.S.
The initial rollout includes imitation poultry, beef, and seafood products including marbled steak, filet mignon, chicken breast, white fish patties, and salmon patties. All products are plant-based and sold frozen, created from proprietary technology based in Ness Ziona, Israel, about 13 miles from Tel Aviv and 35 miles from the Gaza strip.
“Our launch in the Northeastern United States represents an exciting step forward as Perfecta begins reaching consumers through retail shelves for the first time,” Arik Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer of Steakholder Foods, shared in a news release. “We believe the plant-based category is ready for a new generation of products that deliver on taste and eating experience without compromise. We are on track with our launch, and the Northeast is just the beginning of our commercial journey, and we intend to expand both our retail footprint and our distribution network as consumer demand grows.”
One 8.8 ounce serving of Perfecta’s plant-based marbled steak contains 220 calories, 26 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of fat, 1030 mg of sodium (45% of suggested daily intake), and 10 grams of fiber. All the products are vegan, but not suitable for those with wheat or soy allergies.
Ingredients in Perfecta’s U.S. product-line are similar to those used in other imitation meat products. Water is the first ingredient, followed by wheat flour, methylcellulose (a plant-derived thickener), rapeseed oil and natural flavors.
Currently, the products can be found in select specialty markets in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Virginia. Each package of Perfecta’s products cost about $10.
Internationally, Stakeholder Foods has sold its 3D-printed protein products across Israel and in Taiwan for years. In 2023, the company announced its debut of 3D-printed eel, using plant-based ingredients with the goal of using cultivated cells in the future.
Stakeholder is hardly the only company focused on producing 3D-printed foods. The Vienna-based Revo Foods makes plant-based seafood and the Barcelona-based Novameat specializes in 3D-printed plant-based red meats like beef, lamb and pork imitations.
Currently, no U.S. based companies are publicly printing meat or meat products for human consumption, but Chipotle has made big investments in AI and robotics in recent years, so who knows what could be next for Americans tech-fueled food.
Prophetic Link:
“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.” Ministry of Healing, page 296.1.