SPECIAL REPORT: 3D Printing – The Future of Food?

According to Dutch 3D printing machine supplier Lay3rs, the potential is undeniably huge. 3D printers allow designers and engineers to imagine, computer-model and build objects within hours. Also known as additive manufacturing, objects are built from scratch, layer by layer, with no wasted materials.

 

The company claims that: “Within the next 5 years 3D printing solutions will be part of our daily lives, giving people the possibility to produce many objects themselves in a personalized way. Material diversity, building speed and surface quality of 3D printing will develop dramatically and will bring us to the ultimate level of freedom in design and personal manufacturing.”

 

Frits Hoff, CBDO of byFlow believes that 2016 will be the tipping point for 3D printing technology: “At the end this year we will come out with a special chocolate printer, which also makes it possible to use for personalized cakes. That one will be so fast, easy to use and specialized for food that every chocolatier or bakery, even in supermarkets can print,” he claims.

 

3D printing in confectionery
The confectionery industry has been the first sector of the food industry to widely experiment with 3D printing. In fact, more than 50% of the innovations described in journal abstracts for food printing (2004-2014) relate to chocolate 3D printing.

 

German sweet confectionery specialist Katjes Fassin GmbH + Co. KG has a strong tradition in innovation. At ISM, Katjes presented the Magic Candy Factory, the world’s first food-certified 3D printer for fruit gums. In just a few minutes, fruit gums in different designs, colors and flavors were printed out in front of the eyes of the trade visitors: Individual sweets for every occasion. All products from the Magic Candy Factory are vegan, as well as gluten and lactose-free. They are exclusively made out of natural fruit and vegetable extracts and without animal gelatin. Katjes took first place among the top innovations of the ISM New Product Showcase with this innovation.

 

“Personalization is incredibly important; it is not a trend, it is a human need to feel that things are for you and that you get products that fulfill your specific requirements,” says Melissa Snover, Managing Director of Katjes Fassin UK Ltd., speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst at ISM. A video of the Magic Candy Factory in action can be seen here.

 

The idea of 3D printing has often been linked to chocolate, with this sector clearly lending itself well to the new technology. And not only does chocolate continue to be in favor across the world, it’s also a product that many global consumers think of as being a luxury or treat item.

 

Peter Boone, Chief Innovation and Quality Officer at Barry Callebaut told FoodIngredientsFirst: “3D printing of chocolate remains a challenge, but it is becoming increasingly popular. Why? Well, while chocolate sits in most consumer cupboards, the opportunity to differentiate yourself becomes harder,” says Boone. “Personalization is big at the moment and chocolate is an easy to use and mold product. We see that in the demand for color, texture, and 2D printing. I am therefore sure that 3D printing will be in demand when we can do it in a scaled up way.”

 

Innovative development has included work by the major brands Hershey and Cadbury and it is clear that chocolate appears to be the space with the highest level of development right now.

 

Jeff Mundt, (pictured) Sr. Manager, Technology, Global Innovation for The Hershey Company states that in the case of the companies collaboration with 3D Systems, they started the technology and set out to apply it to potential, un-met consumer needs and occasions. Mundt explains to FoodIngredientsFirst: “I would say that while this is not typical for a CPG company, it is very typical at a technology company where you think of the various commercial applications and then develop business models for each and commercialize the ones that make the most sense.”
 
The Hershey Cocojet 3D Chocolate printer is the most advanced in the world, capable of printing 3 dimensional objects that delight our consumers. Hershey’s deep chocolate expertise is adding value in our collaboration with 3D Systems, the leader in consumer and industrial 3D printing and manufacturing.

 

Mundt maintains that understanding consumer trends is the engine that drives business. “The Hershey Cocojet 3D Chocolate printer is the most advanced in the world, capable of printing 3 dimensional objects that delight our consumers.”

 

Mundt adds: “3D printing allows for a high degree of personalization fulfilling a strong consumer desire. 3D printing is also unique in that you can create things with a 3D printer that cannot be made any other way; interlocking rings, for example, could not be molded, but you can print them with a 3D printer.”

Hershey are exploring a range of commercialization options from owning the printers and selling the final product to selling the printers to stores so they can make unique and special designs for their shoppers. With emerging technology, the possibilities are endless.

 

There is still a lot more research and development to be done in the 3D printing area, some chocolate manufacturers, Cargill for example, are one company who are yet to produce food items using this newest technology craze. Brigitte Bayart, Senior Marketing Manager, Chocolate, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate spoke with FoodIngredientsFirst: “Cargill are always looking at new innovations and developments in technology that can improve even further the range of products we offer our customers. We are closely following developments around 3D chocolate printing, but have no current plans in this area at the moment.”

 

3D printing in nutrition
3D printing is already making waves and changing the way a range of objects are produced but what role is it set to play in the nutrition industry? Lauren Clardy, President of NutriMarketing Group, sees potential for its application in personalizing products for the consumer. “3D printing technology can allow for customized doses based on nutrigenomics and metabolomics, and can be adapted for the weight of the patient. It can also allow for a varied release profile. So, for example, we might see a 3D-printed pill that contains bio-actives such as probiotics that will release nutrients at different stages and times in the gut.”

 

Innova Market Insight's Director, Lu Ann Williams adds: “For consumers that track everything and are willing to get blood tested frequently enough, 3D printing of nutrition products could create an opportunity for creating personalized supplements.” 

 

3D printing is set to be particularly valuable in the healthcare sector and for people who suffer with dysphagia. work and research into this area has been interesting in terms of development. Frits Hoff, CBDO of byFlow, speaking at Horecava in Amsterdam (pictured), noted that 8% of elderly people in care homes and hospitals cannot swallow. In the case of dementia sufferers, a shocking 80% suffer from dysphagia. Hoff explains: “That is really a problem for them and the whole social aspect of eating, which is so important for people who are old or sick, is gone,” he notes. 3D printing, however, allows the pudding like substance to be printed in the shapes of common foods. “We want to print a normal meal of meat, vegetables and potatoes, but when you touch it, it feels like pudding and you can easily swallow it,” he explains. 

 

There are some concerns about 3D printing for this reason, but Hoff is confident that the concept will be warmed to. “Some people are concerned about processed foods as they don’t know what is inside. With 3D printing you can see what is being put in. We use fresh ingredients that are sourced locally, so you know exactly what you are eating,” he says.

 

Work into personalized nutrition will be another interesting area of development, personalized bars and foods that will offer customers to avoid food which is not good for them and get the ingredients your DNA needs. Personal nutrition can save lots of medical cost and avoid people becoming sick.

 

“What we are testing now is to make breakfast bars where the topping is personalized to the flavor that you like, but also the ingredients that you need. That can avoid a lot of health problems. What we see is a high amount of money going into personalized medicine. But when you do that with food it is much cheaper and you are helping to avoid people getting sick in the first place,” explains Hoff. 

 

3D printing in space
3D printing is even being invested in by NASA to determine the capability of this technology to enable nutrient stability and provide a variety of foods from shelf stable ingredients, while minimizing crew time and waste.

 

NASA selected this proposal because the research team, subcontractors and consultants included premier food rheology and flavor expertise that would be required for a novel product development system. The work plan for this feasibility study also was well laid out and the technology offers the potential to meet some of the food requirements using basic food components for long duration missions.

 

NASA recognizes in-space and additive manufacturing offers the potential for new mission opportunities, whether "printing" food, tools or entire spacecraft. Additive manufacturing offers opportunities to get the best fit, form and delivery systems of materials for deep space travel.

 

3D printing is just one of the many transformation technologies that NASA is investing in to create the new knowledge and capabilities needed to enable future space missions while benefiting life here on Earth.

 

When it comes to 3D printing the possibilities are endless. One thing for certain though, is that 3D printing is here to stay and it is set to shape the future of food.