Spanish food tech firm Cocuus has launched a new manufacturing platform designed to enhance the structural and sensory qualities of alternative protein products. The technology, called AMS (Adaptive Multilayer System), departs from traditional meat analog processing techniques, offering a method that allows for more complex composition and presentation.
“If you want to improve culinary experience, you have to go further”
The AMS system uses a multi-directional dosing tool guided by advanced software, which lets producers control things like movement, speed, and output with precision. This makes it possible to create plant-based foods that have varied textures and layers of different ingredients in a single product, improving how the food looks, feels, and tastes.
Cocuus CEO Miguel Arbeloa explained, “Most of the technologies used for plant-based products are based in meat industry procedures or extrusion. This is something that works effectively to create meat analogs like hamburgers, sausages or meatballs, but if you want to improve culinary experience, you have to go further.”
Scalable production with versatile inputs
The AMS system has an industrial processing capacity ranging from 2 to 10 tons per day, depending on the product’s complexity. The company says the platform is compatible with various protein inputs, including plant-based proteins, mycelium, and hybrid formulations combining plant and animal sources.
Among the product formats demonstrated with the AMS system are structured items such as plant-based bacon, salmon, and deli-style cold cuts. The system also allows for the incorporation of fat marbling, which the company identifies as a key advantage for improving mouthfeel and consumer acceptance.
Expanding beyond 3D printing tech
In 2024, Cocuus announced plans to scale production of its 3D-printed plant-based bacon to 1,000 tonnes annually. The introduction of the AMS platform expands its technological capabilities beyond additive manufacturing, targeting a broader range of structured protein products suitable for industrial-scale production.
Cocuus has also presented hybrid applications combining meat and vegetables under the label “Upgraded Meat.” These include formulations such as salmon hybrids and bacon products enriched with omega-3 fatty acids using non-saturated vegetable fats.
