Why 3D printed food?

Why 3D Food?

From pasta to chocolate bars and now 3D printed meat, printed meat is becoming increasingly popular. With an increasing number of people adopting the vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle, coupled with the rising issues in keeping livestock, alternative options like these are gaining popularity.

What is 3D Meat?

Printed food is a type of food created by a printer with additive manufacture techniques along with artificial intelligence and material science. One possibility is to use animal cells that are ‘printed’ into meat like forms. Like a regular printer, but instead of normal ink, you feed it with a viscous consumable material with an eatable final product.

What is 3D Food made of?

Printed food can be made of any ingredient if it adheres with the technical features used. Most 3D foods involve the following ingredients:

• Puree
• Mashed potatoes
• Jelly
• Cheese
• Frosting
• Chocolate
• Sugar
• Chocolate powder
• Protein powder
• Sauces (ketchup, pizza, hot sauce, mustard, etc.)
• Coloured food ink

For meat, this list can include plant-based ingredients like chickpeas, peas and beetroot or real cultured animal cells

Lab-grown cultured 3D meat is produced using stem cells for example from a cow or chicken egg. Also known as starter cells, these are isolated and grown in a bioreactor to produce a large quantity of biomass. The cells are then differentiated into edible tissue of muscle and fat cells that are printed into the meat we know and enjoy. Consumers can rest assured that this is an entirely harmless procedure.

Is 3D food Ecological-friendly?

Yes, it is in fact eco-friendly.

How? Simply put, printing requires fewer resources to produce a lab grown piece of meat than the more complex with processing the real thing. It doesn’t involve the requirement of raising livestock, slaughtering and meat processing. So maybe in time, these improvements can make a printed piece of meat a more affordable and more environmentally friendly alternative.

With the printing industry in full development, there are currently various type of meat that can be created. The available options currently are:

• Ground beef
• Burgers
• Lamb
• Kebabs
• Sausages
• And more

Reasons to use 3D printing for producing food:

·        Customization options – personalization – customer satisfactory

o   Taste

o   Flavor

o   Texture

o   Appearance

·        Nutritious

o   More control in the input of protein, sugar, vitamins, minerals, and fats

o   Also, possibility of making softer texture for older adults

·        Sustainability

o   Requires less natural resources

o   Less gas emissions

o   Less transportation required

·        Reduction of food waste

o   Minimal food waste generated

·        Reproducibility

o   Consistency much easier to achieve

o   Machines with the ideal product every time

·        Space exploration

o   Great way to provide astronauts

o   Less space occupied

o   Longer space travels possible

o   Printed food has a longer shelflife

Wrapping up 3D food:

reviously just an experimental research field, 3D printing food is now reaching new heights and expanding in popularity. With 3D-printed food, we’ll soon be resolving the myriad problems caused by the cultivation and slaughter of various animal livestocks.

(Source: B. (2022, 8 november). What is 3D Meat, how is it Made, and What are its Benefits? - SavorEat. SavorEat. https://savoreat.com/what-is-3d-meat-how-is-it-made-and-what-are-its-benefits/)