Spanish startup NovaMeat has revealed the “most realistic” version of its 3-D printed plant-based steak.

The meat-free product extrudes ingredients such as pea, seaweed and beetroot juice into fine fibers to replicate “muscle tissue.” It aims to launch in selected restaurants in Spain and Italy first and scale up on production next year.

Currently, the 50g steak produced is priced at US$1.5 but is predicted to come down as the company aims to use a plant that can produce 50kg of vegan steak per hour in 2021.

Giuseppe Scionti, founder of NovaMeat, said the company was still experimenting with the taste.

The Good Food Institute has shown support for the startup, with director of Science and Technology David Welch stating: “To meet the growing demand for meat with more sustainable plant-based products, we need to deliver the taste, texture and appearance that meat-eaters want. (SD-Agencies)