Opportunities and Challenges in ‘New Meat’ Development
Nicole Günther at Green Seed Germany speaks with Ulrich Strünck, Commercial Director DACH at Redefine Meat, about the opportunities and challenges in this sector.
Founded in 2018, Redefine Meat is a food tech company that seeks to revolutionise the meat industry with advanced technologies and sustainable, plant-based ingredients. As a pioneer of the new-meat category, Redefine Meat unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed plant-based, premium-quality steak in 2020. Its technology and processes aim to replicate the texture, flavour and experience of eating animal meat, creating products that span whole cuts, minced and pulled products and even the beloved German Bratwurst!
What state are we now at in terms of technology for “new meat”?
Whilst there were already many different plant-based meat alternatives available, the big missing element was a plant-based version of a whole cut, something that delivers a true meat-eating experience comparable to a steak. Our founders used their knowledge from previous careers in 3D printing and 6 years ago began to develop a technology capable of replicating whole muscle cuts. We’ve since evolved our approach with several patented additive manufacturing processes, such as 3D layering, which allow us to achieve the scale of production necessary for retail distribution. Adopting a flexible approach to ingredient and technology allows for continuous innovation and responsiveness to market demands.
What do you see as the opportunities?
While the industry has experienced a shake-out and consolidation in brands and products in recent years, plant-based meat alternatives continue to grow in popularity in Germany. According to a 2024 study by Nielsen, sales of meat alternatives in Germany were on the rise by 5.6% in 2024. Falling retail prices also led to a 14.4% increase in sales in volume.
As a food tech company, we invest heavily in R&D and have a strong focus on continuous product improvement and launches. Working with various technologies enables us to create a diverse product portfolio comprising various pork, beef and lamb products. Our business will focus on delivering more alternatives to different whole cuts to further penetrate that market and attract the most elusive target consumer – meat lovers. This product delivers a great ‘meaty’ experience and addresses a target audience that is, so far, not very well served by the plant-based meat alternative category.
Convenience products are also a huge growth driver for plant-based meat alternatives, and we are partnering with several companies to deliver tasty meat alternatives.
What are the challenges in getting permission to operate in different markets?
As new-meat is made up of entirely plant-based ingredients, we haven’t faced issues in it passing regulations. We first launched our products through food service to build proof points and demonstrate versatility. Now it’s being served in over 7000 food service locations across Europe which include steakhouses, fine-dining and casual street food restaurants, hotels and catering facilities. Following the growing demand, we successfully launched into retail at the end of 2023.
Which particular types of customers do you see as the main areas of opportunity?
Whilst vegans and vegetarians are extremely important to us, it’s the flexitarians – people who are consciously reducing their animal meat intake – and meat lovers that offer huge potential. Tastier, meatier, and more in-demand products are now taking centre stage and attracting these consumers to the category.
The success of products like the beef flank steak highlights the importance of continuous innovation and quality improvement to retain consumers, encourage repeat purchases and expand the market. Ultimately, we want to be where meat is being consumed – in food service, butchers, supermarkets and wholesalers. We are working with our partners to integrate change, for example, we recommend featuring our beef flank steak under the steak section of a menu, or in the meat section of a supermarket.