"New meat" is packaged by the producer in the Netherlands. These two products will go to Pinchos in Skellefteå, but you can print almost anything you want, says Joel Sundqvist.
It is a vegan alternative to meat that is printed with a 3D printer.
– We started serving this last week. People are wondering what it really is, says restaurant manager Joel Sundqvist at Pinchos in Skellefteå.
But it's no hocus pocus, he says.
– The company that makes it uses various plant-based ingredients. You can print almost anything.
The product is called "new meat" by Pinchos, and it is used in two of their dishes.
– It comes to us as a ready-made piece. Then we cook it like any other meat, says Joel Sundqvist.
The taste is very similar to meat.
– It's a bit juicier than vegan alternatives like quorn. The texture is also more like meat products. The piece we have in our steak sandwich is printed with fibers and everything.
The food is printed in a way that is supposed to resemble the texture of meat
Joel Sundqvist explains that 3D-printed food is supposed to be more environmentally friendly.
– Just one liter of water produces the same amount that would take 100 liters if obtained from an animal, he says.
Since the product was added to the menu on Tuesday, 70 people have tried the burger and 35 have ordered a steak sandwich.
– The reactions have been mixed. It may take some time for people to get used to it. I think people will always want "the real deal," but I hope this can develop even further, says Joel Sundqvist.
The invention is backed by the Israeli startup company Redefine Meat. The product is manufactured in a factory in the Netherlands.
The recipe is secret, but Joel Sundqvist says that various plant-based ingredients are used.