3D food printing is the process of manufacturing food products using a variety of additive manufacturing techniques. Most commonly, food grade syringes hold the printing material, which is then deposited through a food grade nozzle layer by layer. The most advanced 3D food printers have pre-loaded recipes on board and also allow the user to remotely design their food on their computers, phones or some IoT device. The food can be customized in shape, color, texture, flavor or nutrition, which makes it very useful in various fields such as space exploration and healthcare
There are three general areas that impact precise and accurate food printing: materials/ingredients (viscosity, powder size), process parameters (nozzle diameter, printing speed, printing distance), and post-processing methods (baking, microwaving, frying)
Extrusion-based printing ingredients
Common ingredients used in extrusion based printing are inherently soft enough to extrude from a syringe/print head and possess a high enough viscosity to retain a shape.In certain cases, powdered ingredients (protein, sugar, etc.) are added to increase viscosity, e.g. adding flour to water creates a paste that can be printed. Inherently soft materials include:
purée
jelly
frosting
cheese
mashed potatoes
Certain ingredients that are solid can be used by melting and then extruding the ingredient, e.g. chocolate.
Printing techniques
Extrusion-based printing
Computer Render of Extrusion Based Printing with Multi-Material printing
Although there are different approaches to extrusion based printing, these approaches follow the same basic procedures. The platform on which food is printed consists of a standard 3-axis stage with a computer controlled extrusion head. This extrusion head pushes food materials through a nozzle typically by way of compressed air or squeezing. The nozzles can vary with respect to what type of food is being extruded or the desired printing speed (typically the smaller the nozzle the longer the food printing will take).
As the food is printed, the extrusion head moves along the 3-axis stage printing the desired food. Some printed food requires additional processing such as baking or frying before consumption.
Extrusion based food printers can be purchased for household use, are typically compact in size, and have a low maintenance cost. Comparatively, extrusion based printing provides the user with more material choices. However, these food materials are usually soft, and as a result, makes printing complex food structures difficult. In addition, long fabrication times and deformations due to temperature fluctuations with additional baking or frying require further research and
Inkjet printing
Inkjet printing is used for surface filling or image decoration.By utilizing gravity, edible food ink is dropped onto the surface of the food, typically a cookie, cake, or other candy. This is a non-contact method, hence the print head does not touch the food protecting the food from contamination during image filling. The ink droplets may consist of a broad range of colors allowing users to create unique and individualized food images. An issue with inkjet printing is the food materials being incompatible with the ink resulting in no image or high image distortion. Inkjet printers can be purchased for household or commercial use, and industrial printers are suitable for mass production.
Applications
Personal nutrition
Personalized dietary requirements for an individual's nutritional needs has been linked to the prevention of diseases. As such, eating nutritious food is paramount to living a healthy life. 3D printed food can provide the control necessary to put a custom amount of protein, sugar, vitamins, and minerals into the foods we consume.
Another area in customized food, is elderly nutrition. The elderly sometimes cannot swallow foods, and as such require a softer pallet. However, these foods are often unappealing causing some individuals not to eat what their bodies' nutritional needs require. 3D printed food can provide a soft and aesthetically pleasing food in which the elderly can consume their bodies' dietary requirements.
In October 2019, startup company Nourished 3D prints personalized nutritional gummies from 28 different vitamins. Individuals take a survey, then based on their answers, a personalized nutritional gummy is printed for that individual.
Space exploration
As humans begin venturing into space for a longer time, the nutritional requirements for maintaining crew health is critical.Currently NASA is exploring ways of integrating 3D printing food into space in order to sustain the crew's dietary requirements. The vision is to 3D print powdered food layers that have a shelf life of 30 years instead of using traditional freeze dried food that have a shelf life of 5 years In addition to dietary requirements, 3D printing food in space could provide a morale boost, as the astronauts would be able to design custom meals that are aesthetically pleasing.
In September 2019, Russian cosmonauts, along with Israeli startup Aleph Farms, grew meat from cow cells, then 3D printed the cells into steaks
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