SavorEat will be the first Israeli robotic food-tech company to launch in the US, serving personalized plant-based burgers and breakfast sausage patties.
SavorEat, the Rehovot-based maker of Robot Chef, has partnered with global foodservices and facilities management company Sodexo to launch in the US market.
The first robot chef is approved to “print” personalized plant-based burgers and breakfast sausage patties at two locations on the campus of the University of Denver, following a series of tests and inspections.
SavorEat said this campus was chosen to lead the US rollout due to its progressive technological advancements and high proportion of flexitarian eaters, in addition to the Y generation’s tendency to be early adopters of new products.
“With the University of Denver’s engineering program offering students cutting-edge technology, such as 3D printers, through its Innovation Labs, the partnership serves as an extension of innovation in food technology.”
Powered by machine learning, big data AI, and digital manufacturing, including 3D printing technologies, SavorEat’s “plug and play” Robot Chef can offer food-service organizations a production process that saves water and electricity.
The personalized patties are produced on demand from plant-based “meat” based on pea and chickpea protein, free of cholesterol, soy, hormones, antibiotics, gluten, and preservatives.
Using an app, students can customize protein and fat compositions and select cooking preferences to craft their plant-based meals. User preferences are stored in the cloud and sent to the SavorEat Robot Chef, which autonomously produces a patty within three minutes. The food is prepared, cooked, and delivered without human contact.
“By partnering with a legacy company like Sodexo, which encourages innovation and is at the forefront of adopting food tech to serve students worldwide, SavorEat can extend its reach and bring our Robot Chef to the U.S. market,” said Racheli Vizman, CEO and cofounder of SavorEat.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to be the first Israeli food robotic company in the meat alternative sector to launch in the USA and to offer the growing flexitarian target audience new, healthy, and personalized alternatives without any animal-based ingredients.”
Moses DeBord, senior vice president for Sodexo Campus, said, “SavorEat’s unique mission to bring customizable plant-based solutions perfectly fits our vision to bring a happy and healthy eating experience to college campuses.”
Sodexo North America is part of a global Fortune 500 company with a presence in 53 countries, employing 94,000 people at thousands of sites in all 50 US states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
By Abigail Klein Leichman (Israel21c)
