Introduction
Digitalisation is a rising way of increasing efficiency both in the supply and manufacturing chain. 3D printing technology is an example of digitalisation of food manufacturing industry. It is forecasted that 3D printing will be the next disruptive and transformative food technology in the coming decade. (Karlgraad et al, 2011).
Three-dimensional (3D) food printing, also known as Food Layered Manufacture, can be one of potential alternatives to bridge this gap. It aims to produce 3D custom-designed food objects in a layer-by-layer manner, without object-specific tooling, moulding, or human intervention. Thus, this technology can increase production efficiency and reduce manufacturing cost for customised food products fabrication (Wegrzyn et al., 2012).
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design. It is the type of manufacturing process in which the product is produced layer by layer in third dimension. Through this, food can be designed and fabricated to meet individual needs on health condition and physical activities through controlling the amount of printing material and nutrient content (Jasper et al., 2016).
Principle
A digital model turned into a solid three-dimensional physical object by adding materials layer by layer. It is the type of manufacturing process in which the product is produced by layer by layer in third dimension. The basic principle for 3D printed food is solid freeform fabrication that is the ability of food material to hold and produce a solid structure without getting deformed.
Working Mechanism
It is completely based upon same as that of inkjet printers and laser printers.
The extruder pen or injector places the layer as per the design sent from the computer.
The bottom layer will quickly solidify to build more layer on it.
To complete this process or laser guided system is widely used.
Customisation and Food Fabrication
Food printing targets a build-to-order strategy with higher production efficiency and lower overriding cost. Under an e-commerce platform, consumers may configure or transact food designs and fabricate physical products using a nearby production facility.
To achieve zero lead-time from design to market, plenty of innovative food design websites and mobile apps can assist users on design and order customised food products.
All of them will result in a great change in customised food supply chains, reduce the distribution costs, simplify customised food service, and bring products to consumers in a shorter time.
It starts with customers searching for an online food design platform based on their needs, and selecting a food design.
The corresponding design data is transferred to a neighbourhood Printing Service Bureau. The selected food designs are fabricated at this bureau and are eventually delivered to the customers.
Indian 3D Printers
A group of students at Manipal Institute of Technology tool it upon themselves to use chocolate as their 3D printing medium and the machine invented was Chocobot.
Forming the first start-up Global 3D Labs, students first released the Pramaan 3D printer under the guidance of Dr Gopal Krishna, director, Global 3D Labs.
It has a 9.84 in*9.84in* 11.8 1in (250mm* 250mm*300mm) build area, 100 micron layer resolution.0.4mm nozzle.
While plenty of companies like Nestle and Hershey have explored 3D food printing. We are yet to see much tangible result.
Need of Printing Food
Personalised food and well being
It could serve a variety of needs and markets including gluten-free, meat substitute, vegetarian and vegan, low-calorie and medical nutrition segments.
The idea is to enable full control of the substances used, for the purpose of creating healthy and tasty meals that can be eaten immediately.
Design freedom and new foods
3D food printing is a new way to create food products with unique quality aspects, it allows enormous freedom of design not only in terms of 3D shape but also in composition, structure, texture and taste. Hence, 3D printing technology can create unique products and structures that other methods simply cannot emulate, generating significant opportunities for the food industry.
Alternative ingredients
Alternative food ingredients like proteins from algae, beet leaves or insects that are otherwise hard to process into tasty products with recognisable structures can be used. So, this can help in meeting the nutritional needs of the individuals.
Flexible, decentralised production
A decentralised manufacturing company has multiple facilities that cover large areas, allowing products to be manufactured and distributed close to customers. With the emergence of new manufacturing technology adapted in order to succeed and the decision for some to migrate from centralised manufacturing to decentralised plants in critical to that success.
Convenience
To seek entirely natural, healthy, nutritious foods that provide everything of what the body needs. That way the entire food production chain, which now cannot support the world’s complete population, can become far more efficient. By 3D printing our own snacks on the kitchen table, packed with vitamins, we can reduce the agricultural footprint as well.
Social experience
The technology has also been heralded as promoting open knowledge, the sharing and creative coding and as potentially contributing to participatory design opportunities and democratisation of invention as well as education and cultural heritage.
Applications
Chocolate industry
The use of 3D printing in the chocolate industry has given users more options for customisable treats than ever before. The printing process operates exactly the same as traditional 3D printing. With simple CAD drawings, customers and users can see their edible creations come to life.
Sugar-based products
In 2015, the modernist cuisine project took place with 3D systems and different chefs. This project led to the unveiling of the first sugar 3D printer by the American giant, the Chef Jet Pro, a 3D printer that was based on the selective laser sintering technology. The result obtained that there was Palace of Versailles in sugar. So, there were enormous sugar products started building-up.
Food supplements
Three-dimensional food printing is emerging as a computer-aided-design (CAD) and additive-manufacturing approach for producing food products. The benefits offered by 3D food printing include custom design and production of visually appealing foods, making foods for people with special meal time needs, reduction in design and fabrication time and cost, and decrease independency on the skills of personnel.
Space food
NASA is funding on printing of foods to determine the capability of this technology to enable nutrient stability and provide a variety of foods from shelf-stable ingredients while minimising crew time.
Read to make foods
Most of the food manufacturing techniques are developed for mass production, while food creativity and customisation on shapes, structures, and flavours are usually sacrificed. Food printing provides a platform for consumer experimentation with food forms and flavours. It could offer more freedom for home users and designers to customise chocolate shaping and personalise full-colour images onto solid food formats.
Convenience food
Food printers introduce artistic capabilities to fine dining and extend mass customisation capabilities to the industrial culinary sector. They also provide a research tool to manipulate food structure at multiple scales. Even though these food printing technologies are still under development, it is important to understand their core value, market applications, and potential impact on people’s lifestyle.
Hershey and Nestle are the companies working on 3D printed foods in our country.
Conclusion
3D food printing can change the pattern of food consumption. It may become a part of an ecology system where machines with in-built CAD software can order new ingredients, prepare favourite food on demand, promote user’s creativity, and even collaborate with nutritionists and doctors to promote healthier diets.
