Retailers in the Northeastern US are now stocking whole-cut plant-based meat and seafood products from 3D-printed protein producer Steakholder Foods under the Perfecta brand.
Americans can now get their hands on 3D-printed meat alternatives that mimic the animal muscle fibres on their grocery run.
Alternative protein startup Steakholder Foods has launched five plant-based meat and seafood innovations at retailers in the Northeast. They’re high in protein and fibre, and aim to solve several pain points that have kept consumers away from vegan alternatives.
The rollout marks the firm’s debut into the US retail market and is a result of its partnership with KeHe Distributors, a leading natural and specialty food distributor. The deal will see the products, sold under the Perfecta label, expanded to other regions as part of a phased rollout.
“The Northeast is just the beginning of our commercial journey, and we intend to expand both our retail footprint and our distribution network as consumer demand grows,” said Steakholder Foods co-founder and CEO Arik Kaufman.
Using 3D printing to mimic fibrous textures
Founded in 2019, Steakholder Foods makes 3D printers and premix blends for plant-based and cultivated proteins across a variety of species, including beef, chicken, whitefish, shrimp, salmon, and eel.
Its meat printer, which can produce up to 420kg of plant protein per hour, leverages a Fused Paste Layering tech that combines two distinct materials to replicate the natural interplay of fat and muscle in animal-derived meat.
The seafood printer, meanwhile, has a Drop Location in Space that precisely places plant-based ingredients in specific patterns and layers to mimic the delicate, flaky texture of seafood. It can churn out 100kg of vegan seafood products every hour.
Steakholder Foods’s technology can enable a tender, fibrous texture and marble-like characteristics to enhance the flavour and juiciness of plant-based proteins, addressing the taste and texture complaints surrounding meat alternatives.
The Perfecta range, announced in May, features two beef analogues made from soy protein. The marbled steak has 26g of protein, 10g of fibre, and just 1g of saturated fat per 250g serving, and the filet mignon has 18g of protein, 5g of fibre and 1.5g of saturated fat per 130g piece.
Meanwhile, Perfecta’s whole-cut chicken breast combines wheat protein with wheat flour, soy protein and soy fibre to provide 18g of protein, 4.5g of fibre, and 3g of saturated fat in each 130g serving.
There are also two seafood patties, both made from a mix of soy protein, rice flour, and potato starch. The salmon variant contains 4g of protein, 2g of fibre and 2.5g of saturated fat, and the whitefish version has 5g of protein, 4g of fibre and 1.5g of saturated fat per 50g patty.
Hitting on the texture, protein and fibre demand
Each of the Perfecta products contains ingredients like methylcellulose, a gelling and binding agent made by heating cellulose and treating it with methyl chloride, which is widely used in the meat alternative industry.
So they’re not exactly beating the ultra-processed allegations, but they are tackling some crucial shortcomings of these products. A large survey of omnivores last year found that only around 30% of US consumers like the taste and texture of the average meat-free product, compared to two-thirds who say the same for the animal-based benchmark.
Vegan alternatives were found to be savoury 35% less often and to have a weird aftertaste or off-flavour five to six times more often than animal proteins. They were described as juicy 62% less often than conventional meat. For whole cuts, reducing the off-flavour and aftertaste, mushy texture, and dryness and toughness were identified as the biggest opportunities.
“Our research shows that the biggest opportunity for plant-based products to catch up to their animal counterparts is on texture,” Caroline Cotto, director of Nectar, the sensory insights initiative that conducted the study, told Green Queen at the time.
The products deliver on the nutrition front, too, appealing to the 57% of Americans who plan to prioritise protein this year. Most of the country is fibre-deficient, too, a dietary gap that online trends like fibermaxxing are looking to fill.
This shift is even more pronounced among the growing base of GLP-1 drug users, who represent 11% of the adult population and eat 40% more protein and 30% more fibre. A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey found that active GLP-1 users plan to spend 11% more on high-protein foods, and 10% more on fibre and whole grains.
Steakholder Foods, which raised $3.75M in August and stands to secure another $7M if its warrants are exercised, is targeting flexitarians with its new consumer products and will hope to go beyond the 11% of US households that buy meat analogues.
It’s focusing on building awareness and consumer trial throughout the Northeast to establish a foundation for broader expansion, with the firm set to pursue partnerships with additional distributors over time.
“Our launch in the Northeastern US represents an exciting step forward as Perfecta begins reaching consumers through retail shelves for the first time,” said Kaufman. “We believe the plant-based category is ready for a new generation of products that deliver on taste and eating experience without compromise.”
