Forma Foods uses 3D printing for plant-based meat

Forma Foods, a start-up founded at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, wants to revolutionise the food industry with its 3D printing technology for the production of plant-based meat. This solution offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to conventional meat production, while retaining the flavour and texture of real meat.

The founders of Forma Foods, Grissel Trujillo de Santiago and Mario Moises Alvarez, have developed a method called ‘chaotic printing’. This technique creates microstructures that mimic animal tissue, so that the plant-based products come very close to real meat in terms of texture and flavour. The main ingredients include pea protein, coconut oil and oriental fibres that simulate muscle meat, fat and connective tissue. The products are designed to replicate popular Mexican dishes such as arrachera and carne al pastor.

The company originally worked on cultured meat, but switched to plant-based alternatives due to high production costs. With the support of Tec Ventures and Saya Bio, Forma Foods was granted a patent in 2019 for a specialised print head that makes it possible to transform tough plant-based pastes into meat-like products. These pastes offer a cost-effective and scalable solution that could be an important source of protein, especially in remote areas.

Forma Foods is not only aimed at vegans, but also at people who want to reduce their meat consumption for health, ethical or ecological reasons. The catering industry is also showing increasing interest, including Michelin-starred chef Rodrigo Rivera Rio, who has requested a customised version of the plant-based beetroot product for his dishes. “Ultimately, we want to push the boundaries of what’s possible with innovative food technology,” said Grissel Trujillo, CSO at Forma Foods.

In the long term, Forma Foods could play an important role in tackling global nutritional challenges. By offering a sustainable alternative to meat, the company is helping to reduce methane emissions and water consumption and could make food production more environmentally friendly overall.