This innovation is not entirely new, as Professor Hood Lipson’s Creative Machines Laboratory developed food printing technology for the first time in Columbia in 2005, but this technology was poor in its ability, as it was limited to a limited number of ingredients.
After that, three-dimensional food printers appeared on the market, but they remained limited, as they contain one or two ingredients, unlike the new technology that can print a dessert of 7 ingredients.
Advantages and obstacles
The research team experimented with a number of different cheesecake designs, consisting of seven main ingredients: graham cracker, peanut butter, Nutella, banana puree, strawberry jam, cherry drizzle, and cream filling.
After a number of experiments, the researchers found that the most successful design uses graham cracker as the base ingredient for each layer of the cake, as well as peanut butter and Nutella as supporting layers to stabilize softer ingredients, such as bananas and jam.
Regarding the details of this technology, the lead author of the study, Jonathan Plottinger, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Lipson’s lab, told Sky News Arabia:
- In our study, we present the state of the art of current technology in terms of complex multi-component food prints, using two superimposed lasers.
- We also highlight the implications of adopting food printing technologies in kitchens.
- We succeeded in designing and printing a seven-ingredient dessert that looks good, tastes delicious, and has a degree of complexity that cannot be made by hand (non-machined) methods.
- Since food printing is such a nascent technology, I think there are obstacles that need to create a system that allows ordinary people to print food. There needs to be a digital marketplace for people to download recipes, stores that sell food cartridges, in short, there is a need for complementary industries that provide all the requirements for food printing.
Multiple benefits
Researchers say 3D food printing technology could give chefs the opportunity to define flavors and textures on a millimeter scale to create new food experiences.
- People with dietary restrictions, those with children, nursing home dietitians, and athletes can find these techniques very helpful and convenient in meal planning.
- Because the technology uses precisely engineered energy, cooking can become more cost-effective and more sustainable.
- The technology can be used in conditions such as the Corona pandemic, where exposure to the human factor is limited, and thus helps limit the spread of infection.
In conclusion of his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, Jonathan Plottinger says that the research team has proven that this technology is applicable, provided that all its supplies are provided, pointing out that his team is currently working on developing the design of the device to make it suitable for the public in homes.
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