Oded Shoseyov and Ido Braslavsky, both professors at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at Hebrew University, developed the technology which relies on two basic elements: cartridges containing the meal’s ingredients — in powder or solution form — and hardware that applies heat and shapes the matter. The cartridges contain crystalline nano-cellulose as a core element, along with proteins, carbohydrates, fat, antioxidants, and vitamins. Following individualized specifications provided by the consumer on a 3D printer, the technology applies localized heat and shapes the raw material through infrared lasers.

Created through extraction from cellulose, the most abundant biomaterial on earth, nano-cellulose has a variety of technological and biomedical applications. Unlike starch — which is commonly used in food to “bind” meals together – nano-cellulose has no calories and is easily degradable by the body’s enzymes. The binding property of nano-cellulose is essential – by controlling the amount of nano-cellulose and the amount of water, scientists can determine the texture of the food. This level of control enables the technology to produce items such as burgers, steaks, and kebabs, that taste just like the ‘real’ thing. Shoseyov and Braslavsky researched nano-cellulose for years in Hebrew University’s laboratories, publishing academic papers and experimenting with extraction methods. They developed a method for the extraction of crystalline nano-cellulose (CNC), which paved the way for SavorEat.