Redefine Meat Launches 5 3D Printed Fake Meats in Israeli Restaurants

Redefine Meat, the food brand that promised a 3D printed plant-based “beef” revolution in Israel, announced the commercial launch of its first-ever series of five “New-Meat” products in local restaurants and hotels. Following comprehensive testing and validation with leading chefs and consumers, the startup’s premium hamburger, sausage, lamb kabab, meaty puff pastry, and ground beef are now available in 11 select establishments. Later in 2021, Redefine will extend the rollout of its first product offering to Europe and in 2022 to the U.S. and Asia. The company also revealed that it will launch its first whole cut range later this year, following pilot-testing success.

Although 2020 saw meat production decline for the second year in a row, livestock and meat market estimates still project continued growth in meat consumption, which is exactly the market for which Redefine is going. A crucial part of the company’s growth is focused on attracting meat lovers. But to conquer this very solid market, Redefine is leveraging its initial 3D printed alternative meat formulation and working closely with global meat experts to 3D print a product that can compete with the real thing.

Defined by their motto “New Meat. No Compromise,” company co-founders Eshchar Ben-Shitrit and Adam Lahav want to make the experience of eating “fake” meats equal to the real animal cuts. That includes incorporating the sizzling sound of meat on the grill, a mouth-watering smell, and the unmistakable texture of the real product. Since 2018, Redefine has worked with leading butchers, chefs, food technologists and even closely collaborated with taste expert Givaudan to digitally map more than 70 sensorial parameters into its alternative meats, including premium beef cuts’ texture, juiciness, fat distribution, and mouthfeel.

Layer by layer, the company’s proprietary 3D printing technologies can create a new category of high-quality meat products made from plant-based ingredients. Having made huge strides in developing technology to replace the cuts in the entire cow, the company today brings to market its first product range.

Redefine Meat’s new product offering. Image courtesy of Redefine Meat.

Packing 170 grams of New-Meat with bulky grain sizes, first up in the new line-up is the Redefine Burger. This high-quality steakhouse meat was developed with feedback from leading chefs and butchers in Europe. As far as taste goes, the company claims it’s extremely juicy, with a firm, meaty bite. Before its local commercialization, the burger was successfully tested by carnivores in an exclusive behind-the-scenes launch at Tel Aviv’s premium-quality meat distributor, Best Meister, which had never served alternative meat until then.

Also available is the Redefine Ground Beef, an easy to cook New-Meat that adapts to several dishes, like finger food, empanadas, or Lebanese Kubba. Ideal for charcoal grill cooking, the meat addresses a major gap in the market, according to Redefine, providing the sufficient quality and cooking performance required by chefs as a culinary base for a wide variety of restaurant dishes. The brand states that it already has a wide list of early adopters in the Israeli market and a growing pre-order list in the US, Europe, and Asia for this product.

Redefine Meat’s ground beef. Image courtesy of Redefine Meat.

Redefine’s adaptation of the traditional pork sausage is the meaty alternative Redefine Sausage. This Mediterranean-style New-Meat is defined as plump, juicy, and meaty with a refined spiciness and the coveted “snap” of a casing. 3D printed with natural plant-based ingredients, it is expected to offer both vegans and meat lovers great meat-eating experiences without compromising taste, health, and sustainability.

Redefine Meat’s sausage. Image courtesy of Redefine Meat.

For a more Middle Eastern taste, Redefine created the Redefine Cigar, a classic “New-Meat-filled pastry with a delectable crust” treat that cooks up flaky. Ideal for catering events, the beef-filled pastry was designed with the hospitality industry in mind, allowing for simple cooking in ultra-large quantities, and is the first in a range of products targeting this segment.

Redefine Meat’s Middle Eastern cigar meat. Image courtesy of Redefine Meat.

Lastly, the company considered the Redefine Kabab the “most meat-like product” ever to be introduced in the past decade. Developed in stealth mode for over two years, it is described as an extremely juicy, minced meat designed to address the most common meat street food dish in cuisines that range from the Middle East to India. The signature product mixes lamb flavor with pine nuts and chopped parsley poised to satisfy vegans and meat lovers with an added cultural zest to any grilled shish kabab dish.

Redefine will commercialize its new line of alternative meats at Tel Aviv restaurants Hudson, NAM, 2C, Bodega American Kitchen, and Asif Culinary Center, as well as Eddie’s Hideaway in Eilat, Sinta-Bar in Haifa, Guesta in Karmiel, Gouje and Daniel in Bnei Zion, and The Lounge restaurant at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem.

Redefine Meat’s lamb kabab. Image courtesy of Redefine Meat.

Having recently secured $29 million in funding – the highest ever Series A round for an alternative meat company at that time –, Redefine has used the funds towards finalizing production of a first-of-its-kind large-scale factory housing both meat pilot-lines and Redefine’s industrial-scale 3D printers. The technology is destined to produce New-Meat at scale for the Israeli market and beyond. In addition, the unprecedented rapid growth led the company to triple its employees to more than 100 and hire renowned chefs such as Assaf Granit, whose Shabour restaurant in Paris recently received its first Michelin star.

Redefine’s vision to replace the entire cow with tasty meat alternatives that could appeal to meat lovers is closer than ever to global commercialization. For Ben-Shitrit, launching the new product line in Israel represents a big step in a mission to become the “world’s largest meat company” and accelerates the brand’s innovation potential later in 2021. Each product combines the team’s knowledge of meat at the molecular level, extensive R&D and 3D printing technological innovation, and will help keep up with sustainable living in the future. As the alternative meat sector continues to advance the technologies needed to produce meatless products, we could witness a new 3D printed food revolution take off in the next decade.