Novameat has been working with plant-based formulations to achieve the correct requirements on viscosity, texture, taste, nutritional elements, and other characteristics. The work both on the technological process and on formulation development needs to go hand-in-hand as one is directly dependent on the other.
In 2022 Novameat built and inaugurated the first-of-its-kind R&D facility for micro-extrusion in Barcelona, where its headquarters are located.
There, the micro-extrusion process was scaled-up from the 3D printers, limited to production speeds of less than 1 kilogram per hour, to industrial-scale equipment; proving that the micro-extrusion process can work at speeds of hundreds of kilograms per hour.
This was achieved by repurposing widely-used food industry equipment to micro-extruding our proprietary formulation to produce our plant-based analogues, through the design of prototypes, devices and equipment, the reformulation of the micro-extrudable dough and parameters, and testing and iterating.
The micro-extruding process and downstream has been developed and refined, in order to increase production capacity, extend shelf-life, improve nutritional profile, and reduce both carbon footprint and costs.
This resulted into the creation of four market-ready products, including the following of all health and food safety standards, packaging, logistics and marketing. The product lineup includes chicken-mimicking filets, turkey-esque pastrami and two shredded options that simulate beef and chicken.
Additionally, the Novameat R&D team is working on other meats and cuts such as pork or lamb, all with positive feedback from renowned culinary chefs, meat experts, potential consumers, and foodservice professionals.
