So, most of you will be thinking like what does it mean by the title. 3D? Food? Printing? When I think of printing, I picture what you do when you send a document from your desktop to the big Xerox machine that spits out a piece of paper covered in ink. “Will it be edible?”, “An extra-dimensional”, “you must be kidding”, these are the basics things which would be going on in your minds.
Let’s see further to clear
all of your doubts regarding 3D Food Printing.
Which Foods Can Be 3D Printed?
The foods that can be 3D printed are limited to the
processes available (as we’ll see in the next section). Material extrusion is
by far the most common process for 3D printing food, and, similar to FDM
printing, requires paste-like inputs like purées, mousses, and other viscous
foods such as chocolate ganache.
At first, it might feel a bit restricted in terms
of options but think of all the possible combinations between doughs, mashes,
cheeses, frostings, and even raw meats.
Do Food 3D Printers Cook the Food?
Food 3D printers are mostly suited for architecting intricate shapes and
designs, not actually cooking the ingredients. Usually, the edibles are either
ready for consumption or will be cooked in an external oven (or grill) once the
3D printing process is finished.
Where
Is It Used?
Today, food 3D printers are mostly used for gourmet dining, be it in molecular kitchens or fancy bakeries. This technology is still not scalable, as it requires more time and development to mature. That doesn’t stop pioneers and innovators from using it, though.
But not only in
fine dining can you find 3D printed food. Bakers have made headlines for
printing edible wedding cake decorations and for all you pizza lovers, 3D printed pizzas are coming. More recently, plant-based meat is being 3D printed as a way to mimic the texture from the real
thing, while a German
company used 3D
printers to create accessible meals for seniors who struggle to process solid
foods
So, Where Can I Find It?
Honestly, it’s can be a bit
difficult to find 3D-printed food even in metropolitan areas. Your best chances
would be in 3D printing events or culinary conventions such as 3D food
printing conferences, as this new
technology has not achieved much commercial success. Yet.
Market Scenario
The growth of 3D printing technology in the market depends on factors,
such as the growing demand for 3D printed food products in the market and
health perspective. Consumers, with the help of the internet, can check online
databases for recipes to design their healthy diet by using the right
ingredients in the meal. Before 2014, the food printing method was very
complicated. However, at present, food manufacturing players are showing
interest in 3D printing technology for food items manufacturing. These players
are moving from conventional food preparation methods to advanced technologies,
such as 3D printing.
As per the survey, early adopters of 3D printing in Europe are more
focused on offering customized products and increasing production flexibility,
whereas their US-based counterparts are focused on factors of co-creation
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