Researchers at National University of Singapore created vegan calamari using microalgae proteins from mung beans and 3D-printing technology. They claim the new vegan rings are high in protein and tasty.
The team unveiled its NPD at American Chemical Society’s Fall 2023. It aims to develop alternative proteins that can address the issues of overfishing, food security and other concerns.
“We need to be prepared from an alternative protein point of view, especially here in Singapore, where over 90% of the fish is imported,” said Poornima Vijayan, a graduate student presenting the work at ACS.
Start with Calamari
According to Huang Dejian, the project’s lead researcher, plant-based options for seafood frequently fall short in terms of nutritional value, taste, and texture. The development of the product addresses these problems.
Huang’s research team used microalgae to create an ink similar to that of calamari. To recreate the texture and taste of seafood, they used a food-grade 3-D printer, which allowed them to print fatty layers, smooth layers, and fibrous layer on each calamari…
