Plant-based meat can be expected to serve as a popular food in daily life. However, it is often required for the textural properties and sufficient characteristic flavor in 3D-printed plant-based meat. Fortunately, ultrasonic vibration can induce the secondary structure unfolding of plant proteins after cavitation, thereby exposing more reactive groups and disulfide bond cross-linking. While laser irradiation can be utilized to realize photothermal conversion for the precise and rapid heating, and finally instantaneously activate the Maillard reaction for the protein cross-linking and solidification. The combined action of ultrasound and laser can simultaneously enhance the gel strength and Maillard reaction rate of 3D-printed plant-based meat. This study aims to investigate the effects of ultrasound-laser dual-energy-field assistance on the texture and Maillard reaction-derived flavor compounds using ultrasonic-laser dual-energy-field-assisted 3D printing (UL-3DP). Two printing inks were prepared: a basic formulation without glucose (F0) and an optimal formulation with 2.5% glucose (F1). Five groups were compared in the experiments: U-3DP (ultrasonic-assisted 3D printing), L-3DP (laser-assisted 3D printing), 3DP-L (pure extrusion with interlayer laser-assisted 3D printing), U-3DP-L (ultrasonic extrusion with interlayer laser-assisted 3D printing), and UL-3DP (ultrasonic-laser dual-energy-field-assisted 3D printing), with 3DP (3D printing without energy-field assistance) as the control group. Rheological tests of the inks were conducted to assess the effects of the different energy-field assistance modes on textural properties, microstructure, volatile flavor compounds, and sensory properties of printed samples. The rheological results showed that the addition of glucose enhanced the shear recovery and self-supporting performance of the 3D printing ink. The shear recovery rate of the optimal formulation ink (F1) increased from 69.56% to 73.36%, compared with the basic formulation ink (F0). Textural analysis revealed that the UL-3DP sample increased the springiness, hardness, and chewiness by 14.79%, 22.5%, and 43.84%, respectively, compared with the 3DP control. Microstructural observations indicated that the UL-3DP sample shared a three-dimensional gel network structure with high uniformity and density, compared with the 3DP sample with a loose and irregular pore structure. Volatile flavor compounds were also measured at the same time. It was found that the UL-3DP sample further accelerated the Maillard reaction rate in the glucose. The total peak area of volatile compounds increased by 193.08%, compared with the 3DP control, indicating the high meaty aroma compounds. The sensory evaluation results demonstrated that the UL-3DP group achieved overall sensory scores closest to those of beef tenderloin, effectively bridging the gaps in meaty aroma, taste, and juiciness, compared with animal meat. In conclusion, ultrasound and laser energy fields were introduced into the plant-based meat during 3D printing. The UL-3DP samples synergistically improved textural properties and flavor quality after gel network construction during the Maillard reaction. The findings can provide a strong reference and technical basis for plant-based meat using 3D printing.
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Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering 2026, 42(13): 390-399
Published: 15 July 2026
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