Making plant-based meat with 3D printing can demonstrate a texture, but cannot produce tonnes at a competitive cost. Novameat started with a printed plant-based steak that attracted worldwide attention and now makes textured pea protein with industrial machinery. In episode 74 of Toque de Ingenio, Giuseppe Scionti explains why texture is the real challenge, how he scaled the process to one and a half tonnes per hour, and which patent and business model decisions made it possible.
Guest: Giuseppe Scionti, who appeared in the episode as CEO and founder of Novameat. Interview published: February 24, 2026. Episode: 74. Duration: 1 h 25 min.
In this episode:
- Why the arrangement and density of plant protein fibers determine its texture.
- How do you transition from a laboratory 3D printer to industrial meat processing machinery?
- What role do the patent for the process and the B2B model play in scaling?
The conversation takes place at a specific point in the project: Novameat had already demonstrated at its plant in Barcelona that it could produce in tons per hour, and it was testing the process in factories in other European countries at that very month.
What is plant-based meat, and why is texture the challenge?
Giuseppe starts by outlining the concept. It involves protein derived from sources other than animal muscle, such as legumes and fermentation, and a focus on achieving a texture that is appealing. Novameat typically uses yellow pea protein, which, according to their information, offers good digestibility and a balanced ratio of essential amino acids.
The technological challenge lies in integrating that texture with the nutritional aspect, while maintaining a reasonable production cost. As she explains, creating a prototype using a small-scale printer is extremely expensive, which is why the team had to move on to larger machines, and they are now far more satisfied with these.
The company started with the hardest challenge, a beef steak, before changing direction. It now produces a shredded, pulled-style texture and a granulated protein that can be minced. Giuseppe explains that meat companies request this entirely plant-based ingredient to mix into their mince and improve fibre, protein content and cost.
In blind taste tests with aroma experts and chefs, it was revealed that a blend containing 20% of its plant protein was preferred over the best-selling beef burger in Spain. This information is from the time of the interview.
From tissue regeneration to 3D food printing
Before founding the company, Giuseppe worked for ten years in bioengineering and organ regeneration. His team reached the first clinical trials for skin, oral mucosa, and cornea, and he specialized in biomaterials – natural ingredients used to build tissues.
At UPC, they used a bio-printer that extruded filaments with a diameter of less than one millimeter. They discovered that the viscosity of the bio-ink allowed them to obtain dense and strong filaments, and that they could orient the fibers to reproduce the structure of the fabric that the cells recognized.
“The key to texture in nature lies in the arrangement of the fibers”.
Giuseppe Scionti 40:41.
That same logic, order, and fiber density at a micrometer scale was something no chef could control manually. Giuseppe brought the idea to chefs in Barcelona and Girona, and between 2016 and 2017, he decided to print the first vegetable steak. He chose vegetable ingredients because, according to his thermodynamic reasoning, raising an animal to obtain protein is far less efficient than directly texturizing it.
To do something good instead of simply mimicking meat.
Edgar raises a common question: why plant-based products are designed to mimic meat. Giuseppe distinguishes between different audiences. Some people have given up meat due to ethical reasons and miss the texture of meat, while others seek familiarity in the supermarket, as seen with vegetable sausages in Germany.
Her position is that pure simulation is a mistake, and the goal should be an authentic product that is genuinely good. Therefore, Novameat abandoned the steak and opted for the desilachado – a format, in their words, that offends no one and works well in burritos, hamburgers, or stews.
As the company sells to other businesses, the final name and form are determined by the client. Novameat provides a neutral base with very little fat, and the flavor is added during the marinade using natural spices such as rosemary and garlic. The “chicken-style” version is called that due to its spiced flavor, not because it contains any poultry.
Fat deserves a technical mention. Giuseppe explains that the microscopic structure of its fibers retains oil and prevents it from being lost during cooking, thus avoiding the need to use coconut oil or other solutions that break down in the pan.
Scaling production: from a printer to one ton per hour.
Edgar points out that 3D printing plastics is still slow and difficult to scale compared with injection moulding. Giuseppe responds with a graph that made an impression on him: units against cost. For small quantities, the printer wins; beyond a certain volume, the industrial machine always wins.
An investor made it clear that transforming the printer into a household appliance would require an investment of around 300 million, and that he was better suited to technology and B2B solutions than consumer products. With funding intended for a different purpose, he was able to test three or four industrial machines, and within two days, he achieved a breakthrough.
The initial test, at three tons per hour, destroyed the wall of food, as the nozzle resembled a printer’s nozzle. At 200 kilos per hour, the results were already good, and with a larger nozzle, the material came out more slowly and under better control.
At the time of the interview, Novameat produces one and a half tonnes per hour per protein mixing machine (used for mixing with meat), and between 300 and 500 kilos per hour for the shredded version. The machines are relatively inexpensive, and if the conveyor belt runs at a good speed, it doesn’t require a huge amount of additional resources. This is an example of why prototyping resolve a different question than the one it is addressing. Automation of an industrial process.
To patent the process, not the machine.
The patent was another crucial element. Giuseppe explains that he dedicated three months exclusively to drafting it, between June and September, using funds from the unemployment benefits capitalization: 3,000 euros to establish the company and 8,000 euros for the patent.
“The patent is about the process, not the machine”.
Giuseppe Scionti 55:50.
That decision allowed the use of the same patent for both the printer and the large machine. Furthermore, it involved switching agencies when it became apparent that the protection wasn’t progressing well, and it requested additional hours of analysis of prior research, even going as far as hiring a researcher in Finland to rule out an article that could interfere.
According to their account, the patent has been attacked twice anonymously, without requiring any contact or communication. Edgar contrasts this story with a common mistake: patenting something too early, before the product’s own development actually changes.
A B2B model: licenses, co-creation, and testing in external factories.
Novameat employs 35 people, eight of whom are involved in research, and has focused its efforts on the B2B sector. Giuseppe compares this figure to meat companies with annual sales of a billion dollars, which employ just two people in protein research, and argues that those who control the technology innovate faster than those who control distribution.
To test the process in other factories, the team loaded the machine and its conveyor belt into a van, set up the line, ran it for two days, and then disassembled it. In other instances, they took their blocks to the client’s grinders and mixed them with meat.
There are three types of agreements: a license for the factory itself, a license for its clients, and co-production with Novameat’s clients in other countries. The Barcelona plant is designated for the premium version and the restaurant channel, which was launched three months prior in Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Discussing the market, Giuseppe acknowledges the downturn after the hype around entirely plant-based protein. However, he maintains that the trend towards diversifying protein sources is growing, driven by beef prices and large meat companies.
What can another development team learn?
The Novameat case offers four key lessons for projects that begin in a lab and aim for a factory setting.
- Separating the scaling demonstration. The 3D printer proved useful in validating the texture and in attracting investors; however, producing large quantities required an additional machine and another print head.
- Protect the principle, not the equipment. The patent on the process remained valid even after all the machinery was replaced.
- Design an ingredient, not a dish. A neutral base allows the client to decide on the format, name, and marinade, and it opens up markets that a finished product would not reach.
- Requesting assistance from the best. Chefs, patent agents, and researchers responded to direct emails, and according to Giuseppe, each response saves years.
At the time of the interview, Novameat had received €25 million in investment, was testing its process in factories across several European countries, and was in negotiations with major clients in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Giuseppe insists that in the food industry, reputation and trust are just as important as technology.
At i-mas, we develop bespoke machinery and processes when a manufacturer’s specific needs aren’t met by existing market solutions. If you’re scaling a process that currently only works in a laboratory Tell us about your project..
To continue reading: How to plan the transition from prototype to manufacturing..
Source of article: Interview with Edgar Guerrero on Toque de Ingenio with Giuseppe Scionti. The excerpts cited link to the minute of the conversation. The recommendations for other projects are an editorial summary from i-mas.
