Plant-based food pioneer Planteneers and global leader in food processing technology, Handtmann, are joining forces to revolutionize the market with a manufacturing innovation to create marbled and fat-layered alternatives to meat: the plant-based steak 2.0.
To address the need for more realistic plant-based meat alternatives, the collaboration involves integrating Planteneers’ functional systems and Handtmann’s equipment to create alternatives that mimic the appearance of traditional meat and have an “authentic, fibrous structure.”
Advantages over other processes
By combining a newly developed attachment for Handtmann’s filling and portioning systems with Planteneers’ fiildMeat and fiildTex series, manufacturers can achieve the desired fat ratio and adjust the size and shape of the final products to meet customer preferences. In addition, this flexible coextrusion system in production also enables a more realistic asymmetrical fat marbling.
According to Planteneers, one significant advantage of this new production process over 3D printing, for example, is its high output capacity.
With a throughput of over a ton per hour, manufacturers can meet the demands of larger trade partners and produce significant quantities of steak, strips, or bacon alternatives. This increased production capacity will be crucial in satisfying the growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives.
Solutions for plant-based manufacturers
Planteneers, part of the larger Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, develops and produces custom system solutions for various plant-based products, including meat, sausage, fish alternatives, cheese, dairy, and deli foods. Its most recent development is a range of pea-based high moisture extrudates for plant-based meat that is said to deliver an “authentically” meat-like structure.
In 2023, Planteneers won the World Plant-Based Innovation Awards 2023 in the technology category for the Plantbaser and expanded into the USA with a new office in Aurora.
On the other hand, Handtmann, a company with 150 years of trajectory, offers modular and cross-process solutions for product preparation and packaging. With a global presence and a dedicated team of research and development professionals, Handtmann is well-positioned to contribute to the success of this partnership, says Planteneers.
“Plant-based alternatives offer answers to many trends and mega-trends that consumers are interested in – sustainability, animal welfare, and the growing hunger for protein. So we continue to see the plant-based market as a growth market. Market subsegments like food service also still offer potential for creative solutions,” Dr. Dorotea Pein, Director of Technology at Planteneers, said to vegconomist in an interview.
