The rise of 3D printing for food

Food 3 d printing technology as a new food processing technology, integrated digital and food processing and other technology, with a personalized (variation in shape, nutrition, safety, etc, and can according to the formula and the nutrient composition of different optimize the food, convenient and quick to create can meet the demand of different groups of healthy food, such as high and low sugar, low salt and vitamin, etc.

In 2011, the application of 3D printing technology was extended to food processing. The world's first chocolate 3D printer has been developed by British researchers, bringing the technology of 3D printing food to the forefront. Later, a Spanish startup developed a 3D food printer called the Foodini, which perfected the function of a 3D food printer and is on the road to commercialization.

In April 2016, Food Ink, the world's first 3D-printed restaurant, opened in the Netherlands. The restaurant is made of 3D-printed furniture, tableware, decorations and real objects. The restaurant uses a convenient multi-material 3D printer developed by 3D printer maker Byflow to create dishes for customers using hummus, chocolate mousse, pea puree, goat cheese or pizza dough.

Colorcon Ventures points out that 3D printing has the potential to create personalized nutrition for consumers. Avant-garde, eye-catching, time-limited and limited, this has whetted the public's appetite for "3D-printed food", and attracted a lot of media coverage at home and abroad. Up to now, there are more than 10 industrial-grade or desktop-grade food 3D printers on the market, and a lot of use scenarios can be seen.

How a 3D printer works

The 3D printer works by reading a pre-made model file in the computer, and then letting the robot arm drive the nozzle to move, according to the model, the nozzle spit out the consumables from the bottom to the top of the pile, until all is finished. The material bin and nozzle of the food printer are integrated into one, which is pressed and moved at the same time to "print".

First, the food is ground, mixed and condensed into a pulp to make an edible printing material, which is loaded into a syringe. The material will be heated into a formable shape. Then, based on the digital files created and loaded into the printer or personalized shapes designed by the user through the control panel, the machine presses the on button to squeeze the melted ingredients using some kind of plunger or air compressor and "prints" them layer upon layer through the nozzle.

The ingredients used include various foods such as pureed vegetables, batter, biscuits, cheese and sweets, jellies, frosting, chocolate and fruit puree. Among them, chocolate is a typical printable food, and has been industrialized production at home and abroad. In addition, 3D printing of food can be seen in bakery stores, where bakers often turn to 3D printing to create edible cake decorations.

Application of 3D printing technology in pet food

3D printing technology can promote animal welfare. For pet owners who do not like to feed slaughtered animals, they are still aware of the importance of protein in their cats and dogs' diets, and 3D printing technology can help create protein in pet food.

Bond Pet Food, for example, recently used cell-free technology to produce pet protein in a more humane way. Initially tested using egg white, the method takes cells from natural microorganisms and undamaged animals and cultures them. The cells are instructed by 3D-printed DNA sequences to feed on vitamins, minerals and sugars and produce egg white in a fermenter. Finally extracted at a consistency similar to baby food, these proteins are then mixed with other important nutrients to achieve a balanced diet. It is understood that other proteins may also be created through 3D printing. At present, protein food materials that can be used for 3D printing include bean protein, fungal protein, plant-based artificial meat, etc., which can be used in pet food.

What limits the development of 3D printing technology

Until now, the research and development process for 3D-printed food has been challenging because unlike plastics and similar materials, the properties of food are not always "linear", for example, small temperature fluctuations can completely change the way food materials flow.

Since food manufacturing plants often need to operate on a large scale to maintain affordable costs, many hurdles remain. Currently, 3D printers for food applications require "considerable" technological advances to overcome costs and manufacturing speed. Compared with traditional food manufacturing processes, the main problems of 3D printing are production speed, volume and manufacturing cost, as well as equipment cost. 3D printers need to be routinely cleaned and sanitized to ensure residues of unprocessed food ingredients build up. This can damage equipment and production lines, leading to microbial growth and food safety risks.

Foods such as snacks need to be retailed at a low or affordable cost to be competitive. 3D printing is only available for expensive foods that have very high retail costs. For example, small batches of specialty products -- such as custom 3D-printed chocolate, can even 3D-print Mona Lisa chocolate. Clearly, the cost of 3D printing will make it uncompetitive with traditional food manufacturing methods, and the practitioners of 3D food printing have a long way to go if their goal is to eat well.