According to Research and Markets, the 3D food printing market is projected to reach $525.6 million by 2023.
3D printing is a technique used for the manufacture of three-dimensional objects with high accuracy and quality finishing in their dimensions.
In the food sector, 3D printing is widely investigated across areas, such as customized food designs, personalized and digitalized nutrition, simplified supply chain, and broadened source of available food material.
Here are some ways 3D printing is benefitting the way we eat.
Sustainability
According to the United Nations, the world’s population is estimated to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, hence there will be an increase in the food demand as well as wastage that can lead to food source scarcity, thus making the current global food model unsustainable.
Numerous concerns include food quality, nutritional value, climate change, environmental impacts, and having enough to feed everyone.
3D printing is an ideal technology for food manufacturing because it can produce 3D constructs with complex geometries, complex textures, enhanced nutrition, and realistic flavours.
Powdered and dehydrated ingredients used in the printing capsules would last longer and be easier to store, cutting wastage.
Aside from that, 3D food printing should be considered an opportunity for the development of new business strategies as well as a way to increase the food supply chain sustainability.
Eradicating malnutrition
3D printing is a ground-breaking technology that can improve the nutritional value of meals.
So, this type of technology can be used to address hunger issues in countries where fresh and affordable ingredients are inaccessible.
Personalised meals
The global 3D food printing market is strongly motivated by the increasing demand for customized food products with nutrient content tailored to suit one’s taste and purpose.
Currently, many countries worldwide produce various 3D food printers, developing special foods such as combat food, space food, restaurants, floating food, and elderly food.
For instance, Silicon Valley-based BeeHex launched Chef 3D, a 3D-printer that can print a 12-inch pizza in less than five minutes.
Another example of this is food trend.
Presently, today’s society where trends such as veganism, gluten-free and dairy-free are on the rise, 3D printing is used to ensure a meal has a precise set of ingredients.
Thus, 3D printed food makes people more interested in what they are consuming.
Calorie information can be transferred from fitness trackers to 3D printers to create a customised meal that keeps your diet on track.
On the other hand, 3D food printing can be utilised in hospitals to ensure meals are adapted to patients’ individual nutritional needs.
This allows each meal to be customised for each patient, taking into account their condition, their favourite food, and their required vitamin intake.
Aside from that, any kind of supplement can be included in the ingredients — proteins, vitamins, and minerals — with the purpose of improving their condition.
Therefore, 3D printing just might be a solution to solve global hunger issue.
Fine dining
Food presentation is very important as we eat with our eyes as much as our mouths.
High-end commercial kitchens, top pastry chefs and state-of-the-art food companies have gradually been using 3D food printers in their prepping stations.
This is because 3D printers are capable of more consistent prep work at a mass scale, freeing up the chef to do fewer menial tasks.
For instance, 3D printers utilize nozzles, powdery material, lasers and robotic arms to make sugar sculptures, intricately patterned chocolate and latticed pastry.
3D printing technology in food industries offers new possibilities, such as personalized nutrition, automated cooking, reduction in food wastage and many more.
Thus, it will continue to evolve as an exceptional technology in the food industry