How I Built This with Guy Raz – When your dinner is printed with Eshchar Ben-Shitrit of Redefine Meat

Intro

In this episode of “How I Built This with Guy Raz,” host Guy Raz interviews Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, the founder of Redefine Meat. Redefine Meat uses 3D printing technology to create plant-based beef, pork, and lamb products that look and taste just like their animal-based counterparts. Ben-Shitrit shares his journey from working in corporate environments to starting his own company with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of meat production and providing a more sustainable alternative.

Main Takeaways

Entrepreneurial Inspiration

• Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, founder of Redefine Meat, was inspired by a mentor to become a CEO one day, despite not considering himself an entrepreneur or risk taker.
• Ben-Shitrit and co-founder Adam Lahav shared a belief that their corporate jobs were limiting and frustrating, leading them to explore entrepreneurship.

The Environmental Impact of Meat Production

• Redefine Meat’s goal is to reduce the negative environmental impact of meat production by offering a more sustainable alternative.
• Beef production, in particular, has a significant carbon emissions footprint, with a kilogram of beef producing 100 kilograms of carbon emissions.

The Plant-Based Meat Revolution

• The alternative meat industry is growing rapidly, with companies like Redefine Meat, Impossible Foods, and Beyond Meat leading the way.
• Redefine Meat aims to create plant-based alternatives that are indistinguishable from real meat, appealing to meat-eaters who want to reduce their environmental impact.

3D Printing Technology and Innovation

• Redefine Meat uses 3D printing technology to create meat-like textures and replicate the intramuscular layers found in traditional meat.
• The company’s initial 3D printed products showed promise for creating new food properties, although they were not initially tasty or meaty.

Collaboration and Improvement

• Redefine Meat collaborated with renowned chefs and butchers to receive honest feedback and constantly improve their plant-based meat products.
• The company conducted blind tastings and received encouraging feedback from consumers, including children who couldn’t tell the difference between the 3D printed meat and real meat.

Expansion and Future Goals

• Redefine Meat plans to sell its plant-based meat products directly to consumers through restaurants and gradually expand to grocery stores.
• The company aims to become one of the world’s largest meat companies without using animals, with a focus on creating a plant-based alternative to high-quality steak.

Summary

From Corporate Jobs to Plant-Based Meat Innovation

Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, the founder of Redefine Meat, never saw himself as an entrepreneur or risk taker. However, inspired by a mentor, he embarked on a journey to become a CEO. Ben-Shitrit and co-founder Adam Lahav, both frustrated with their corporate jobs, shared a belief that there was more they could achieve. Their goal was to reduce the environmental impact of meat production and provide a sustainable alternative. Ben-Shitrit’s decision to start a plant-based meat company was influenced by his personal choice to stop eating meat and his realization of the negative impact of meat production on the environment.

3D Printing and Creating Meat-Like Textures

Redefine Meat uses 3D printing technology to create plant-based beef, pork, and lamb products that closely resemble their animal-based counterparts. Ben-Shitrit and his team experimented with different plant-based proteins and fats to develop separate muscle, fat, and blood components. They built their own 3D printer to manipulate these components and create new food properties. While the initial 3D printed products were not initially tasty or meaty, they showed promise for creating meat-like textures.

Collaboration and Constant Improvement

Redefine Meat collaborated with renowned chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Ron Blaauw, as well as butchers to receive honest feedback on their plant-based meat products. They conducted blind tastings and received encouraging feedback from consumers, including children who couldn’t distinguish between the 3D printed meat and real meat. The company listens to criticism from chefs and is constantly striving to improve their product. Their goal is to create a plant-based alternative to high-quality steak with the same level of marbling, tenderness, and richness of flavor.

Expansion and Future Goals

Redefine Meat plans to sell its plant-based meat products directly to consumers through restaurants and gradually expand to grocery stores. Their aim is to become one of the world’s largest meat companies without using animals. The company wants to create a product that is healthy, sustainable, and comparable in price to high-quality steak. They believe that their plant-based alternatives will appeal to meat-eaters who want to reduce their environmental impact.

Conclusion

Redefine Meat and its founder, Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, are at the forefront of the plant-based meat revolution. Through the use of 3D printing technology and collaboration with renowned chefs, they are creating plant-based alternatives that closely resemble real meat. Their goal is to reduce the environmental impact of meat production and provide a more sustainable alternative without compromising on taste and texture. With plans for expansion and a focus on constant improvement, Redefine Meat aims to become one of the world’s largest meat companies, all without using animals.