RheoTexMeat – Rheological Model for Textile Meat Alternatives
Replacing animal-based products with plant-based alternatives can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, fibrous, “whole-cut” meat alternatives are still frequently perceived by consumers as texturally insufficient. While novel textile and fiber-spinning processes enable the formation of well-defined fiber architectures, robust and transferable links between the material properties of plant-protein formulations and the resulting fiber structure and product texture are still missing. The Berlin-based start-up Project Eaden develops plant-based meat alternatives using a fiber-spinning/textile technology and addresses precisely this development gap.
The objective of this research project is to develop and validate an empirical rheological model in collaboration with Project Eaden and the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at TU Dresden. The model will predict the spinnability of plant-protein formulations as well as the mechanical and sensory-relevant properties of the resulting fiber–matrix composite structures. To achieve this, defined protein masses will be characterized using materials science and rheological methods under process-relevant conditions and correlated with the properties of the spun fiber structures. On this basis, formulations can be designed in a more targeted way, development cycles can be shortened, and practical guidelines for the efficient development of textile meat alternatives can be derived—including applications suitable for both pan-frying and braising.
Collaboration partners:
- Project Eaden GmbH
- TU Dresden, Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM)
Project funding:
BMBF funding programme “KMU-innovativ: Bioökonomie”; project duration 10/01/2026–09/30/2028
Project researchers and contact:
Research Assistant
NameDipl.-Ing. Simon Vincent Lechner
Food Process Engineering
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
© Sven Ellger
Research Assistant
NameDr.-Ing. Carolin Schmidt
Food Process Engineering, Biomacromolecules
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
© Sven Ellger
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Anja Maria Wagemans (geb. Oechsle)
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).