3D Food Printing: is it going anywhere?

At the Agrifood Innovation Event 2018 in Venlo, 3D Food Printing was one of the themes. How far has this technology now developed and which markets can you think of?

• 3D printing has been around for more than 30 years, 12 years ago the first food printer was launched. Since then the technology has improved a lot.
• Especially for the catering and pastry industry, 3D Food Printing offers endless possibilities in complex and detailed creations, of chocolate for example.
• Soon, chef Jan Smink will open his restaurant Smink, in which the 3D Food Printer has a prominent role.
• The healthcare sector sees a lot of potential in using 3D Food Printers, especially to be used for patients with swallowing problems.
• The technology also offers opportunities for custom applications in the military, as food technologist Mary Scerra told the conference.
• And what about opportunities in the field of personalized nutrition, due to the increase in food allergies or nutritional intolerance?
• A 3D Food Printer is already available for a few thousand euros. That price will drop sharply further as adaptation continues to grow.
• For the agri-food sector it offers opportunities for new sales markets and applications of, for example, residual products.

Students create for the future

Four students from the HAS were present during the conference to present their projects. All projects were based on the 3D Food Printing technique, with a completely different angle for each project.

1: Snacks from leftovers

In the hospitality industry, a lot is thrown away and that's a shame. Elzelinde van Doleweerd, student at TU Eindhoven worked together with the HAS to process residual streams in the food printer into, for example, sweet or savory cups that can be filled and incorporated into a dish. A surprising element for the guest and it goes against waste.

2: Printed egg

Britte Peeters and Anne van Grinsven investigated whether egg could be printed, where previous attempts had failed. They discovered that with a very small amount of starch, printing egg becomes possible.

3: Betw3ters

Sanne Vonk developed food printer cartridges aimed at children. The packaging challenges children to play with their own food. In this way Sanne wants to lower the threshold for children to eat fruit and vegetables.