This New Vegan Steak 'Eliminates Every Single Reason There is to Eat Animals'

EAT

Jan 20

Food tech company Project Eaden uses bio fiber technology to create its realistic whole cuts of vegan meat.

Berlin-based food technology company Project Eaden has created a plant-based steak that “eliminates every single reason there is to eat animals”, mimicking the texture and appearance of an animal-based cut of meat.

The company uses a proprietary fiber spinning technology - similar to those utilized by the textiles, aerospace and automotive industries - to spin pea and other edible proteins into threads until the fibres form the whole cuts of vegan steak. Project Eaden says the steak will launch later this year.

“Our ultimate goal is to offer consumers a product that eliminates every single reason there is to eat animals,” said Project Eaden co-founder Jan Wilmking in a statement. “We intend to fully recreate and even improve on the sensory profile and the overall pleasure people experience when they eat meat.”

The huge environmental impact of farming cows and other animals for food has led to a host of scientists, investors, and chefs searching for plant-based alternatives that can offer a meaty taste and texture without harming the planet. Products made from ground meat such as Beyond Burgers and MorningStar’s Chik’n Nuggets have become household names for some, but the solution to producing whole cuts of meat has proven elusive.

Now, the highly scalable and affordable bio fiber technology, which recreates the taste, texture, and appearance of animal meat, could be the answer the industry has been searching for.

“We create fibres which have several material components so that when you bite through each of the million fibres, you have this kind of bite resistance that real meat has when you chew it. It makes a real difference. We believe we have a unique chance to build an outstanding company, from a unique technology angle,” Schmelzeisen explained in an interview with TechCrunch.

The technology is also catching the attention of investors. Project Eaden recently announced it has secured €10.1 million ($10.9 million) in funding to accelerate the development of its plant-based steak.

“We’ll be investing in our own R&D activities and the initial production setup”, said Project Eaden Co-founder, Jan Wilmking. “We’ve built a highly-motivated team of professionals to further develop our unique, proprietary technology over the past nine months, including tissue engineers, food technologists, material scientists, and culinary professionals”.

Scientific studies have found phasing out animal agriculture represents “our best and most immediate chance to reverse the trajectory of climate change.” Plant-based alternatives, like Project Eaden’s vegan steak, and cultivated animal products could be a leading part of this process.

“A delicious plant-based steak isn’t only associated with benefits for the consumer market, but also for the planet because livestock are responsible for six percent of all greenhouse gas emissions,” said Eaden Project co-founder Hubertus Bessau in a statement. “The ‘carbon hoofprint’ is just as large as the carbon footprint of the entire global transport sector—road, air, and sea combined.”

What we eat matters. The US is the world’s largest producer of beef, chicken meat and cow’s milk, and the second largest producer of pork - but you can help turn the tide in favor of a plant-based food system. Try our 7-day vegan challenge to get started.

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