3D chocolate printing: Mondelēz showcases sweet tech designs to mark World Chocolate Day

17 Jul 2019 --- 3D printed Cadbury’s Dairy Milk has been brought from laboratory to store for the first time with a pop-up opened this month in Melbourne, Australia. Mondelēz, the multinational owners of Cadbury, as well as other chocolate brands Milka and Côte d’Or, has been developing 3D printed treats with Dutch contract research organization TNO over the last four years. TNO researched printing with various Mondelēz chocolate materials, developed prototype 3D printers, assisted with chocolate design challenges and assisted Mondelēz in bringing the concept to commercial application.

A key challenge experienced was around temperature control, as fluctuation can lead to an altered texture. This can make the product look acceptable, but have an unexpected flavor. It was also crucial that the device printed at higher speeds for the in-store concept. Designs had to be developed that were easily printable while being appealing to customers. 

The pop-up opened at department store Myer Chadstone in honor of World Chocolate Day earlier this month. Two of the designs – which include letters, shapes, and Australian symbols like kangaroos – cost AU$8 (US$5.60), while four designs are AU$15 (US$10.50). 

This product is the third market introduction of 3D printed food by a TNO partner. In 2018, Barilla launched its 3D printed pasta through spinoff company BluRhapsody, and in 2015, German candy manufacturer Katjes launched its Magic Candy Factory gum candy printer. 

In 2016, 3D printing was predicted to be the future of food, with the technology making waves in areas including confectionary and nutrition. Last year, chef Jan Smink opened his eponymous restaurant in Wolvega, the Netherlands, which features 3D printed food on the menu. Meanwhile, in the lab-grown meat market, Shiok Meat recently began work on using 3D printed scaffolds and hydrogels to give its synthesized shrimp meat texture. The finished product is expected to debut in Singaporean restaurants in 2020. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell