From nutrition to health to countless new creations of 3D printing applications
By Laura Girolami and Simona Grande, Future of Food Institute. Translated by Lucy Scioscia
3D printing is fast arriving into the kitchens of many restaurants, and before you know it they will be a main feature in your home. No longer science fiction or “nerd stuff”, or a wacky quirk just for tech-crazed scientists, 3D printing is instead a reality that is likely to change, or at least have a strong impact on, our approach to everything. For example, there are a lot of impressive and diverse techniques applied to the food world, such as used deposition modeling (FDM) that is used for foods such as chocolate, or selective laser sintering (SLS) for foods with a granular consistency, or Stereolithography (SLA), just to name a few. As a result, there has been an enlargement and consolidation of the application of 3D printing that is useful and potentially revolutionary, not only in world of business but also in the homes of everyday people.
A prime example of a project that has been successful in the restaurant business but that has also gotten a lot of attention from regular folks is By Flow, the portable printer shaped like a suitcase. Weighing only 7 kg, the By Flow 3D printer is super easy to carry around and use where ever you are. It only takes just 2 minutes to set up and can easily switch from one material to another by heating up to 100 °. Thanks to its pop-up restaurant, This past April, By Flow was all the rage at the 3D Food Printing Conference, one of the most important events in 3D food printing world held in Venlo in the Netherlands.
When it comes to the world of chefs, more and more are opening up to the possibilities of what 3D printing can offer and the 3D Culinary Lab in Los Angeles was one of the first to understand this. This cross-pollination haven of food, technology and innovation provides chefs, mixologists and culinary innovators (and basically anyone who wants to experiment) a place to bring their food ideas and turn them into reality. This innovative workshop was designed to be a true testing ground for culinary printers like ChefJet Pro by 3D Systems before its release and to provide input for future development by exploring market opportunities and possible innovations.
As for the applications of 3D printing in large food companies, it goes without saying that the Italian giant, Barilla is at the top of the list. The Parma-based company, a global leader in the Made in Italy food industry, presented a prototype created four years ago in collaboration with the Dutch research center TNO (Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research). This printer allows you to replicate the most popular pasta forms, but also allows you to design new forms that you can create and cook in no time. Barilla is truly emerging as an innovative company that combines Italian culinary tradition with new technologies, taking the Made in Italy food industry to new heights!
Another great example of 3D printing for pasta Kitchen Tools, the kitchen installation that shows the process of making a pasta dish starting from its essence; from the experience of grinding the grains of wheat, then taking the flour and experimenting with it to create different forms through 3d printing. The concept, designed by architect Francesco Bombardi, is currently installed within the New Craft exhibition by Stefano Micelli as part of the XXI Triennale of Milan, made possible with the support of companies such as Barilla, and Marrone.
In addition, possible applications of 3D printing are also being explored in the field of bio-printing. The Cultivator, for example, is an open source project, created at the University of Applied Sciences Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany, gives you the ability to print, through a solar-powered machine, custom-made meat from muscle cells. Whereas in Finland, you’ll instead find a trail of crumbs from personalized snacks printed in 3D. The Finnish Centre, VTT Technical Research Centre, in an effort to promote healthy eating, is exploring the development of personalized and nutrient enriched snacks and are able to unite various food consistencies due to the process of printing out the layers. Also in the area of improving well-being, is FoodJet. This project is used in conjunction with SmoothFood of Biozoon technology and is under the EU-funded project, “Performance“. The FoodJet printer is dedicated to those who have problems in masticating and swallowing and is able to recreate dozens of meals in puree and gelling agents, imitating their taste and texture and maintaining all nutritional value.
Another well-known name on the 3D food printing circuit is definitely Foodini. Equipped with WiFi and touch screen display, this 3D printer is programmed to work with several items at once. How does it work? After choosing a meal from an array of possibilities, fresh ingredients are liquefied and fed into the machine. Once this initial step is done, Foodini takes care of the rest. And we cannot forget about our sweet tooth. For those who love sweets, Magic Candy Factory, is surely a treat. You can also check out (and indulge in) all the amazing and delicious 3D printed candy at the Grün – Ohr Cafe in Berlin, thanks to a quick-drying filament process that is all-natural, vegan, lactose and gluten free. You can easily choose the form, flavor and color you want through a simple and intuitive touch-screen menu.
The extraordinary world of opportunities of 3D printing is truly worth getting to know and experience. From curious makers, to dedicated research centers, to ambitious big businesses, 3D printing is indeed expanding and changing its boundaries; from customized diets, to personalized ingredients, and concise support for eating problems. These are just some of the impacts that this type of innovation might have. The intention is in fact not only create innovative machines, but implement them to meet human needs. It is not only in the realm of food and nutrition that experimentation in 3D printing is continuously evolving, but also in other areas such as medicine and construction the versatility of this technology is applied with significant impacts. In fact, just recently it was reported that the Dubai aspires to become the leading city in the world of 3D printing; by 2030, 25% of all new buildings will be entirely “printed.”
Maker Faire Rome