BARCELONA, SPAIN — An Italian bioengineer at a Spanish startup claims to have invented the world's first vegan steak made using 3D printing technology.

Giuseppe Scionti from Spanish startup Novameat created a mixture that includes rice, peas and seaweed to create a 3D-printed patty that mimics the fleshy texture of texture of beef.

Scionti said the the machine is able to create the meat-like texture without using high temperatures and keep the nutritional content of the steak.

The ingredients are turned into a paste and mixed with a paella colourant and inserted into syringes.The syringes are inserted into a 3D printer and then printed into a steak-like product. After being printed, the steak can go on to be cooked.

In addition to the steak, the company has also developed a vegan chicken breast made from ingredients including lipids, fibers, minerals and vitamins that mimics the texture animal meat.

Scionti, who founded Nova Meat, told architecture and design magazine Dezeen that it takes around 30 minutes to print a 100 gram of steak.

In addition to creating an ethical meat alternative, Scionti hopes the vegan steaks will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock to make our planet more sustainable.