Revo Foods has tapped 3D extrusion technology to develop an alternative to black cod, a fish known for its buttery flavor and silky texture. The company uses fungi protein and microalgae oils to mimic the appearance of “scaled fish filets” based on computer-guided models.

The product, called “El Blanco — Inspired by Black Cod,” is formulated using mycoprotein (fermented fungi protein) as the main component.

“We think it is an interesting concept. It is a specialty fish, and the name ‘Black Cod’ is intriguing. In general, we try to go away from referring to specific animal products for our range, but in this case we loved the sound of it,” Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods, tells Food Ingredients First.

“We use microalgae oil as our fat source, due to its high Omega-3 fatty acid content. In our process, we treat it as mildly as possible, so that no fat oxidation takes place. This is thanks to our 3D extrusion technology, which allows the food creation at low temperatures and pressure.”

Seafood trends depict that health and environmental concerns are steering consumers toward alt-seafood. Over the past five years, product launches of fish and seafood substitutes have increased by 35%, indicates Innova Market Insights data.

Revo Foods is honing in on these trends with mycoprotein-based products to expand its range of fish alternatives, including a vegan salmon filet launched in 2023. Last year, it also received the EU’s funding worth €2.2 million (US$2.38 million) for producing animal-free myoglobin with Belgian company Paleo for integration into the filet.

Boosting customization and creativity

The Austrian start-up leverages 3D extrusion technology to achieve an “attractive, layered texture” in the whitefish-filet alternative for black cod.

The company uses continuous production of structured protein-rich foods to transform unstructured proteins (e.g. mycoprotein) into products with aligned, heterogeneous fibers, by using computer-guided models.

“3D extrusion allows us to integrate fat into protein fibers. It is not really specific to fish textures, but rather a great technology to transform a biomass (like mycoprotein) into a fibrous, interesting texture. Especially for more complex products, like filets/steaks, it does miracles,” notes Simsa.

Integrating fat into the protein matrix leads to a “flaky” texture typical of black cod. The firm claims that, unlike conventional food processing methods, 3D extrusion enables new levels of customization and creativity in food design.

Enhancing nutrition and efficiency

Mycoprotein is a naturally fibrous protein made from fermented fungi, and is the major component of all Revo Foods products. It is neutral in taste and offers health benefits such as a complete amino acid profile, and high bioavailability while also being rich in fiber.

“What stands out is the high Omega-3 fatty acid content, which covers the daily Omega-3 needs, especially in terms of highest-quality EPA/DHA fatty acids,” Simsa tells us.

“Compared to conventional black cod or other whitefish, it also contains more fibers, which all nutritional experts agree is a component which we should eat much more in the typical western diet.”

Mycoprotein is low in carbohydrates and saturated fat and grows rapidly, doubling in biomass “every five hours,” which the company says makes it one of the most efficient protein sources known to humans.

Scaling production

El Blanco is the first of several new products enabled with 3D technology that Revo Foods is developing. The product is manufactured at Revo Foods’ production site, The Taste Factory in Vienna, wher it uses 3D Extrusion Technology at scale with an output of “several tons/month.”

Regarding cost parity with traditional fish, Simsa says that Black Cod is a specialty fish, and El Blanco is in many cases “already cheaper.” He expects the price of 3D printed foods to come down with further scale-up.

“The biggest lever is the scale. Non-animal protein sources are more efficient and cheaper than animal protein sources, and as scale-up continues, this will accelerate also on the consumer price-level.”

While scaling 3D food printing, the company has learned that scalability is possible, but it “remains difficult,” adds Simsa. 

“There are hardly any blue-prints out there we can follow, so we need to learn everything ourselves. But the upsides are huge, as it allows us to create exciting new products that no other technology is able to create. It’s a perfect niche solution for exciting products,” he concludes.