Austrian food-tech start-up Revo Foods has expanded its portfolio of mycoprotein innovations with the launch of El Pollo – a chicken-style fillet.

El Pollo, like the other products in Revo’s range, is made using the company’s proprietary 3D structuring technology. The tech platform enables a juicy and fibrous texture, using fermented fungi-based mycoprotein to offer a ‘chicken-like bite’.

The product has been in development for more than two years according to Revo Foods, and is claimed to offer a ‘completely new texture experience’ that is distinct from other products currently available in this category.

Available in three varieties – Original, Asian Fusion and BBQ Style – the product offers a clean-label, simple ingredients list and has a Nutri-Score of A. It is high in protein and fibre, and free from major allergens. The product is designed for convenience, with a cooking time of around five minutes.

Robin Simsa, commercial director of Revo Foods, said: “Chicken is the most-eaten meat in the world, but most plant-based versions are easy to forget”.

“We focused on getting the texture right, and El Pollo is the result. For us it shows just how versatile mycoprotein becomes when combined with our 3D structuring process.”

The company, established in 2020, began its journey with a portfolio of alt-seafood products. Its salmon-style fillet, launched in 2023, was claimed to be the world’s first 3D-printed food product to hit European supermarket shelves.

Since, the company has expanded its range to include other functional products outside of seafood – such as its Fungi Mince and The Prime Cut innovations. Now, El Pollo represents its first move into plant-based chicken – though Simsa emphasised that the company does not wish to position it as an “alternative”.

In a statement on LinkedIn, he explained: “El Pollo is not a chicken alternative. It is a mycoprotein-based product that is ‘inspired by chicken.’ Small wording change, big difference in perception.”

Simsa said that positioning products as “alternatives” invites comparison, with Revo Foods pushing for the product to be judged “on its own quality”.

“We don't sell it as ‘tastes 100% like chicken.’ We sell it as what it is: high in protein, high in fibre (which meat lacks), a complete amino acid profile, low in fat. Healthy, few ingredients. And it tastes a bit like chicken,” he wrote. “Less ideological communication lets more people try these products without getting an immediate identity crisis.”

El Pollo is now available on Revo Foods’ website, priced at €4.29, and is rolling out this month in supermarkets across Austria, Germany and Italy.