Which piece in the picture above is the 3D printed salmon? Using different “food inks” Legendary Vish “achieve the complex appearance of our salmon fillets, which show the realistic distribution of orange/red meat tissue and white connective tissue.” These inks consist of mushroom and pea proteins using starch or agar gelling agents. Omega-3 fatty acids ingredients will be added to more closely mimic the nutritional profile of conventional salmon.
Salmon is a good product to mimic given it’s high value and the increasing concerns about overfishing and increasing aquaculture. By 2015 FAO estimates, 33 percent of marine fish stocks were overfished, with another 60 percent fished at maximum sustainable levels. Only 7 percent of stocks were fished at less than their full potential. (See figure below)
Plantbased fish alternatives are an essential part of the solution to preserving our ocean ecology. If we continue on the current trajectory how long do we have before ecological collapse? Perhaps it’s because the fishing industry itself realises the problem that we see much less pushback against alternative aquaculture products vs terrestrial alternative products.
With this in mind alternative products like 3D printed salmon can’t come too soon!
Legendary Vish have teamed up with 3D printer company Felix Printers to scale-up to commercial, food grade, volumes. The company plans to complete scale-up and start selling products by 2022.
(PS the 3D printed one is on the right)
