Forma Foods Uses 3D Printing to Create Plant-Based Alternatives to Meat

We’ve already touched on the concept of 3D-printed meat through various pioneering companies in the sector, such as Redefine Meat and Steakholder Foods. Today, we turn our attention to start-up Forma Foods, which uses 3D printing to create plant-based alternatives to meat. Their aim? To offer high-quality proteins that are accessible even in remote areas, while tackling the environmental challenges posed by factory farming.

Company founders Grissel Trujillo de Santiago and Mario Moises Alvarez, experts in tissue engineering, have developed a technique known as “chaotic printing.” This method makes it possible to create complex microstructures that reproduce the organization of animal tissues. Thanks to this approach, their plant-based products offer a texture, taste and appearance surprisingly close to that of traditional meat.

Forma Foods has developed its own 3D printing technology to make its plant-based meat

Transforming Mexican Cuisine With 3D Printing

Forma Foods is on a mission to reinvent classic Mexican dishes, such as Arrachera and carne al pastor, in a plant-based version. Their secret? A combination of ingredients: pea protein to simulate muscle structure, prebiotic fiber for connective tissue, and coconut oil to reproduce the texture of fat.

The founders, who are aware of the prohibitive costs of methods using animal cells, chose to focus on plant-based alternatives. Always striving for innovation, they also designed their own 3D printers to optimize the manufacture of their products and refine their technology. “Our 3D printers faithfully recreate muscle fibers, offering a texture similar to that of meat. By precisely mastering the microstructure, we manage to reproduce an overall structure that is surprisingly close to that of animal muscle.”

The company has adapted 3D printing to convert vegetable mixtures into meat substitutes. This breakthrough is part of an ambitious Mexican technology initiative, responding to global challenges related to food and the scarcity of natural resources. “Ultimately, we want to push the boundaries of what’s possible with innovative food technology,” said Grissel Trujillo de Santiago.

The start-up targets not only vegans, but also those looking to reduce their meat consumption for health, ethical or environmental reasons. As the company grows, it is attracting the attention of renowned chefs, such as Michelin-starred chef Rodrigo Rivera Rio, who has even requested a bespoke version of their product, incorporating beet.

The company hopes to recreate Mexican cuisine with these plant-based offerings

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*All Photo Credits: Forma Foods