3D-Printed Food Is Officially Coming to U.S. Grocery Stores

 I have a feeling that this has been going on for some time now.

Meat substitutes for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who abstains from meat have grown massively in recent years. Companies like Beyond and Impossible Foods have grown in popularity by mimicking the savory flavors and textures of animal meat—all from plants. Alternatives exist for most common meats, including ground beef, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and even steak. The point is, options are wide and ever-expanding. 

Now, another company is taking strides to bring another form of plant-based meat to U.S. markets—and it’s certainly not what we had in mind. If you haven’t heard yet, 3D-printed food is here, and it’s coming to U.S. grocery stores.

3D-Printed Plant-Based Meat Will Soon Hit Store Shelves

Steakholder Foods is an Israel-based technology company that uses 3D printers to produce plant-based meat and fish that emulate meat’s taste and texture. It recently announced that it’s bringing its brand, Perfecta, to the U.S.

In a September press release, Steakholder Foods said Perfecta will bring five varieties of Premium Plant-Based Meat to the U.S. The items include Plant-Based Chicken Breast, Filet Mignon, Marbled Steak, Salmon Patties, and White Fish Patties—all of them made with 3D printing technology.

The release was vague about where exactly these items are launching, stating the products would be available “at retail locations across the Northeastern United States, marking the brand’s first commercial placement on U.S. store shelves.” According to the U.S. Census, the Northeastern region includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

As of this writing, we can’t identify which stores are selling the products. We do know that at least two of the plant-based meats, the Filet Mignon and the Marbled Steak, are currently listed on Instacart for $9.99 and $9.39, respectively. However, when we try to buy them, no nearby stores list them as in stock. Notably, the packaging also does not specify that these products are 3D-printed. 

To clarify, this isn’t the same as lab-grown meat, also called artificial, cultured, or no-kill meat. Lab-grown meat is made by collecting cells from animals and growing them outside the animal’s body, a process called in vitro. Unlike 100 percent plant-based meats, artificial meat still comes from animals—it just doesn’t involve killing them. 

According to Steakholder’s website, its meat “is produced using advanced 3D printing technology and a blend of plant-based and cultivated ingredients, combined with precise culinary techniques to mimic the sensory experience of traditional meat.”

Ingredients include “high-quality plant proteins such as soy and pea, natural fats, and a variety of flavor enhancers to create a meat-like taste and texture. Our cultivated meat products also incorporate cultured cells to replicate traditional meat characteristics.”

Whether you try Perfecta’s products or not, 3D-printed plant-based meat is here, offering a tiny glimpse of what the future of food could look like.