Caviar refers to processed salted roe obtained from large fish, and it often requires the sacrifice of a pregnant female. With the increasing global human population, the demand for caviar is rapidly growing, threatening wildlife fish populations everywhere. While many improved versions of caviar analogs have been created, they are unable to mimic natural caviar color, texture, structure, popping (while chewing), and taste. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable method for developing caviar analogs using engineering techniques. For this study, we investigated the use of sodium alginate and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) in the production of engineered caviar analogs that replicate the texture, appearance, and sensory characteristics of natural caviar. Alginate solutions of different concentrations (1-5%) and needles of different gauges were calibrated to achieve structural integrity and mimicry of caviar analog size. Furthermore, CaCl₂ was frozen in liquid nitrogen before soaking in a bath of alginate to form caviar analogs with an outer crusty shell and a softer center, to re-create the popping-effect. Future work will include incorporating our findings within a microfluidic device for a scalable way of producing engineered caviar analogs, furthering the broader pursuit of sustainable food design.
