No. This is where people get confused, because there are three different things all being called "new meat": Plant-based meat is made from plants. Perfecta, Beyond and Impossible are all in this group. Lab-grown (cultivated) meat is real animal cells grown in a tank. Several US states have banned it. 3D printing is just a way of shaping food. You can print plants or cultivated cells. Perfecta is plant-based food that happens to be 3D printed. Because it contains no animal cells, the state bans on lab-grown meat don't apply to it. We go through the full difference in 3D printed vs lab-grown vs plant-based meat.

Perfecta 3D-Printed Steak: What's In It, and Is It Real Meat?

Q: What's in the Perfecta range?

Five products launched: Plant-based marbled steak. Plant-based filet mignon. Plant-based chicken breast. Plant-based salmon patties. Plant-based white fish patties. The base is soy protein and wheat protein with other plant ingredients. Check the pack for the full list. Recipes can change, and the label is the only version that counts.

By Cuisine Seeker Editorial Team
3 October 2026

Perfecta is a range of 3D-printed steaks, chicken breasts and fish patties made by Steakholder Foods, an Israeli company. It is not real meat and it isn’t grown from animal cells. It’s plant-based, made mainly from soy and wheat protein, and printed in layers to copy the grain and marbling of a whole cut. It went on sale in stores across the Northeastern US on 3 September 2026.

That last part is the news. For years, “3D-printed meat” was mostly lab demos and rumours. We wrote about the rumours in Is supermarket meat 3D printed? Perfecta is the first 3D-printed whole cut most American shoppers can actually pick up off a shelf.

Two grilled plant-based meat patties with char marks on a black slate board, next to a sprig of thyme and an ear of wheat

What’s in the Perfecta range?

Five products launched:

Plant-based marbled steak
Plant-based filet mignon
Plant-based chicken breast
Plant-based salmon patties
Plant-based white fish patties

The base is soy protein and wheat protein with other plant ingredients. Check the pack for the full list. Recipes can change, and the label is the only version that counts.

What are the nutrition numbers?

Steakholder’s published figures:

Marbled steak: 26 g protein and 10 g fibre per 250 g serve
Filet mignon: 18 g protein and 5 g fibre per 130 g piece
Chicken breast: 18 g protein and 4.5 g fibre per 130 g serve
Seafood patties: 4 to 5 g protein and 2 to 4 g fibre per 50 g patty

For comparison, 250 g of cooked beef steak has well over 26 g of protein and no fibre at all. So Perfecta is lower in protein than the real thing, gram for gram, but brings fibre that meat doesn’t.

Is it real meat?

No. This is where people get confused, because there are three different things all being called “new meat”:

Plant-based meat is made from plants. Perfecta, Beyond and Impossible are all in this group.
Lab-grown (cultivated) meat is real animal cells grown in a tank. Several US states have banned it.
3D printing is just a way of shaping food. You can print plants or cultivated cells.

Perfecta is plant-based food that happens to be 3D printed. Because it contains no animal cells, the state bans on lab-grown meat don’t apply to it. We go through the full difference in 3D printed vs lab-grown vs plant-based meat.

Why 3D print it at all?

Texture. Most plant-based meat is ground: burgers, mince, nuggets, sausages. Whole cuts like a steak or a chicken breast are much harder, because real muscle has long fibres and streaks of fat running through it. A printer lays down protein and fat in thin, controlled layers, so it can build in fibre direction and marbling that a mould can’t. Steakholder’s argument is that taste and texture are what stop people buying plant-based meat a second time, and printing is how it plans to fix that.

The machines are quick, too. The company says its meat printer turns out about 420 kg an hour, which is what makes supermarket volumes possible.

Is 3D-printed steak safe to eat?

Printing doesn’t change what’s in the food. It changes the shape. Perfecta is a plant-based food sold under the same US food rules as any other, so it’s as safe as its ingredients. Two things to watch: it contains soy and wheat, both common allergens, and wheat means it isn’t gluten free. Our main piece on whether 3D printed meat is safe to eat covers the wider safety and regulation questions.

Can a child eat 3D-printed meat?

This is one of the fastest-rising searches on the topic. For Perfecta, the question is really “can a child eat a plant-based meat alternative”, because that’s what it is. The things to check are the same as for any processed food: allergens (soy and wheat), salt content on the nutrition panel, and whether it fits the rest of their diet. If your child has allergies or a special diet, ask your GP or a dietitian before swapping it in for meat.

Where can you buy Perfecta?

For now, only in the Northeastern US. Steakholder is selling through KeHE, a large natural and specialty food distributor, so look in independent and natural grocers rather than the big chains. The company has said the Northeast is “just the beginning” and plans to expand to other regions. It isn’t sold in Australia, the UK or Canada yet. Pricing hasn’t been published.

How do you cook it?

Follow the pack. As a general rule, plant-based whole cuts do best with high heat and a short cook: a hot pan or grill to get a crust, then rest briefly. They don’t need cooking through for safety the way chicken does, and overcooking dries them out fast.

FAQ

Who makes Perfecta?

Steakholder Foods, an Israeli food-tech company founded in 2019, formerly called MeaTech.

Is Perfecta vegan?

It’s sold as plant-based. Check the ingredient list on the pack to confirm it suits a vegan diet.

Is Perfecta lab-grown meat?

No. It contains no animal cells. It’s plant protein shaped by a 3D printer.

When did Perfecta launch in the US?

3 September 2026, in Northeastern US stores.

Is 3D printed meat sold in Australia?

Not Perfecta, not yet. See Is supermarket meat 3D printed? for what is on shelves in Australia and the UK.