Marbled steaks and bacon with meat and fat layers are standards in the classic meat segment. However, offerings in the plant-based alternatives category are still very limited.
This is even more the case for plant-based products that feature not just marbling or fat layers, but also an authentic, fibrous structure.
To change this, plant-based food company Planteneers and filling and portioning system manufacturer Handtmann are joining forces.
With functional systems from Planteneers and equipment from Handtmann, manufacturers of plant-based meat alternatives can now produce marbled pieces with a fine fibrous structure.
The only requirements are a newly developed attachment for Handtmann’s familiar filling and portioning systems and the appropriate system solutions from Planteneers’ fiildMeat and fiildTex series.
The latter are the basis for these meat and fat alternatives, which are produced with a flexible coextrusion system. The products can be plant-based alternatives to steak, filet strips, or bacon.
The size and shape of the final products can be adjusted to customer desires, as can the definition of the fat layers.
Depending on the fat ratio and the machine setting, asymmetrical fat marbling is also possible.
Another major advantage over existing production processes for marbled meat alternatives, such as 3D printing, is the high output. With a throughput of over a ton per hour, manufacturers can turn out large quantities of steak alternatives and thus meet the demand from larger trade partners.