Explore the groundbreaking research that has led to the development of plant-based fish meat, offering a sustainable solution to the environmental challenges of traditional fisheries and aquaculture.
Tackling the Fisheries Crisis
Nearly 90% of the planet’s fish stocks are already fully exploited or over- exploited. Such a disturbing state of affairs is not just cause for concern about food security but it also means major impact on eco-friendly system degradation.
Poor traditional fishing techniques and also over-exploitation of species in the wild has brought about a whole slew of ecological issues, such as habitat destruction and overfishing. In the quest to overcome these obstacles, researchers are looking to offer a variety of solutions, and one increasingly popular avenue is what has been termed plant-based fish meat.
In a study published in Food Physics, researchers from China report their achievement of producing a plant-based alternative to the yellow croaker fishCopyright;- All rights reservedThe Lancet. Using a dual-nozzle 3D-printing system, the researchers were able to fabricate a physiologically realistic model of fish-meat-like material with vital muscle and fat tissues.
A Groundbreaking 3D Printing Technique
Their strategy consisted of a painstaking procedure reminiscent of rebuilding the detailed design in yellow croaker meat. To illustrate this manuscript, a 3D model of the fish, including photo-converted dorsal and belly images (e.g., Fig.
To replicate the muscle and fat elements, the group formulated proprietary inks. The “muscle ink” comprised soy protein isolate, xanthan gum, and starch in a liquid state; the “fat ink” was a nanostarch-carrageenan emulsion gel. The inks were extruded through the dual-nozzle 3D printer, which enabled muscle and fat components to be organized into exacting layers.
One challenge presented itself when the researchers set out to improve accuracy in the multi-nozzle 3D printing process. To ensure that the final product retains a real, natural appearance of yellow croaker meat, they make very fine adjustments to printing parameters such as nozzle offset, layer height and fill rate along with specific set-ups regarding air pressure and print speed.
Conclusion
Plant-based fish meat alternatives development by innovative 3D printing techniques is a major step toward resolving today’s urgent environmental and sustainability issues of traditional fisheries industry. Using lifelike reproductions of popular fish to develop sustainable and scalable alternatives for the increasing global demand of seafood. While studying these revolutionary breakthroughs, the future of fish meat industry appears more promising than ever as it could define our diet or seafood production in a revolutionary way.
