Veganism is becoming a trend these days, and plant-based meat made using 3D printers is attracting attention.

Revo Foods, an Austrian food company, has released plant-based salmon made with a 3D printer. This plant-based salmon, made with soybeans, contains protein and omega-3, and does not contain sugar or gluten, so people who are sensitive to gluten or diabetics can enjoy it without any worries.

This is not the only alternative meat made using a 3D printer. Nissin, a Japanese food company, has also launched a Unagi Donburi using plant-based eel. People who have actually eaten Nissin's plant-based Unagi Donburi said that it reproduces the unique taste of grilled eel well, overcoming the prejudice that “plant-based alternative meat is tasteless.”

The impact of meat consumption on the environment is also drawing attention as the climate crisis worsens. A considerable amount of greenhouse gases are emitted during the process of raising livestock, processing, and transporting meat. As global meat consumption is increasing every year, meat consumption is considered a major contributing factor to the climate crisis.

Meat consumption also leads to biodiversity problems. Many endangered animals have become extinct in the process of hunting animals for meat consumption. The plant-based Unagi Donburi mentioned earlier was also developed for this reason. Nissin Foods mentioned that Japanese eel has been designated as an endangered species for the purpose of researching plant-based Unagi Donburi.

3D food printing is not only beneficial for environmental protection but also for people who have limitations in consuming food. Researchers at Columbia University in the United States have unveiled a cheesecake made with a 3D printer using edible ink. The researchers said that the 3D-printed cheesecake, which has a smoother texture than traditional cheesecake, will be of great help to people with dysphagia. Like this, 3D food, which has a similar taste but different ingredients than traditional food, is expected to be a popular food for patients who have various restrictions on food intake due to health reasons. Alternative meat is good for people who try to avoid meat for environmental reasons, but it is also expected to be of great help to people who cannot consume meat due to health reasons.

The 3D food printing industry is expanding rapidly. 3D food printing, which initially focused on a few foods, is now creating alternative meats and even seafood, which is difficult to implement with 3D printers, creating a new future.

However, there is a drawback: price. It is inevitable that the price will be higher than foods using animals raised or caught in large quantities. People's perception of the taste of alternative meat also needs to be improved.

If 3D-printed alternative meat becomes more popular, it is expected to reduce environmental pollution caused by meat and preserve ecosystems, including biodiversity. Alternative meat, which also has positive effects on health, hopefully becomes more popular along with 3D printer technology.