Engineers at Columbia College are exploring the potential advantages and challenges of 3D meals printing. This rising know-how, involving cooking gadgets equivalent to 3D printers, lasers, and software-driven processes, might quickly revolutionize our kitchens, doubtlessly changing standard home equipment like ovens and microwaves.
Jonathan Blutinger, a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia’s Artistic Machines Lab, together with Professor Hod Lipson and Professor Christen Cooper from Tempo College Diet and Dietetics, have examined the complexities of this know-how in a latest article revealed in npj Science of Meals.
Important achievement
The researchers examined the potential of 3D-printed meals to boost vitamin, enhance meals security, and supply customizable meal choices.
A major achievement of Blutinger’s crew was their improvement of a 3D-printing system able to creating multi-layered meals objects, equivalent to a posh cheesecake composed of seven totally different substances, together with peanut butter, Nutella, and strawberry jam.
This breakthrough challenges the earlier limitations of 3D meals printing, which was restricted to raw substances and sometimes resulted in unappealing dishes.
Customizing vitamin
One of the placing features of this know-how is its potential to customise vitamin. As Professor Cooper notes, whereas 3D-printed meals continues to be processed, it gives a possibility for extra exact nutrient management, which could be particularly useful for people with particular dietary wants.
This facet of personalization is especially related within the context of plant-based meat options, the place texture and taste are vital.
Well being implications
The researchers additionally emphasize the well being implications of 3D meals printing. “We have now an unlimited downside with the low-nutrient worth of processed meals,” mentioned Cooper.
“3D meals printing will nonetheless prove processed meals, however maybe the silver lining will probably be, for some folks, higher management and tailoring of vitamin–customized vitamin. It might even be helpful in making meals extra interesting to these with swallowing problems by mimicking the shapes of actual meals with the pureed texture meals that these sufferers–thousands and thousands within the U.S. alone–require.”
Distinctive meals experiences
One other promising avenue is the usage of laser cooking with 3D meals printing, permitting for exact flavors and textures.
This may create distinctive meals experiences and cater to particular dietary restrictions, making meal planning extra handy for varied teams, together with athletes and people in nursing houses.
Challenges stay
Nonetheless, challenges stay in commercializing 3D meals printing. “As a result of 3D meals printing continues to be a nascent know-how, it wants an ecosystem of supporting industries equivalent to meals cartridge producers, downloadable recipe recordsdata, and an setting wherein to create and share these recipes.”
Moreover, the consultants observe that printed meals will probably require novel ingredient compositions because of the distinctive meeting course of.
Meals security
The know-how might additionally enhance meals security, which is very related within the post-COVID-19 period. “With extra emphasis on meals security following the COVID-19 pandemic, meals ready with much less human dealing with might decrease the chance of foodborne sickness and illness transmission. This looks like a win-win idea for all of us,” mentioned Blutinger.
Whereas 3D-printed meals know-how holds immense promise for reworking how we cook dinner and devour meals, it additionally presents a spread of challenges that should be addressed. The Columbia crew is paving the best way for additional analysis and improvement on this thrilling discipline.
Picture Credit score: Jonathan Blutinger/Columbia Engineering
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