She is now 18 and has not visited her aunt for several years. But like her aunt, she has a keen interest in cooking. Walking into the kitchen, she was delighted to see that her aunt kept pace with the times. Years ago, she was the first person in her family to use a microwave, and recently she bought an air fryer.
“But, what is that?” the young girl asked, pointing to something she had never seen before.
“Oh, that,” her aunt said with a smile, “is a 3D printer.”
“In the kitchen?” the little girl asked . “What is it doing here?
“I can use it for all kinds of food — including steak,” her aunt said, apparently enjoying her niece’s confusion.
No, it’s not a real scenario – not yet. But it does hint at an almost unbelievable change coming to the food world – in this case 3D food printers.
While some advocates say 3D printed food is a much-anticipated innovation, others are less sure. Just hear what some shoppers at Washington State Farmers Market, young and old, have to say about it.
“strangeness. How did they do that? “
“strangeness. “
” is too futuristic for me. “
“We’re old-fashioned,” said Washington State University master gardener, who is at the market providing answers to gardeners’ questions. “We think food comes from what grows.” “
“Is it nutritious? asked a master gardener. “That’s the whole purpose of food.” “
“horrible. no, thank you. “
“I can’t possibly buy one for our family. We even slowed down the microwave. “
” Maybe for cake decoration, but definitely not for real food.
On the other side of the coin, marketing manager Jeremy Kindlund said he thought it sounded exciting. “I can see a lot of potential in it,” he said.
He’s not alone. In fact, a recent survey by 3D printing specialist Hub.com revealed an impressive number of monthly Google searches for 3D printed food when looking at a range of advances in 3D printing.
3D printed food came in second with 9,800 monthly Google searches, followed closely by 3D printed houses with 76,000 searches. 3D printed items in the survey included cars, Shoes, human organs, drones, rockets, furniture, robots, dentures and even printed clothes.
Received 4,500 monthly searches for meat in the 3D printed food category, thanks to In what Hubs.com called “breakthrough” advancements last year.
That’s when an Israeli bio The printing company announced that it had actually printed 104 grams (3.67 oz) of cultured steak, possibly the largest cultured steak produced at the time.
Simply put, cultured meat is not associated with plant-based Meat is the same. Instead, it’s produced from beef cells by biopsying live cattle and growing them in nutrient media until there is enough critical mass to turn the cells into bioink. The company’s bioprinter is then used The bioink is printed. The steak printed from there is left in the incubator to allow the stem cells to differentiate into fat and muscle cells that form the tissue in the steak. And, yes, it’s real meat.
It doesn’t involve slaughtering a cow for beef – a decisive advantage for those who don’t like killing animals.
It’s also a climate change concern because it means Eliminating the need to raise herds and then slaughter them to get beef can lead to significant water savings and other environmental benefits.
Climate change is here again. On top of that, scientists who support 3D printing point out that feeding Livestock require a lot of resources, which is why they see this technology as a solution to the urgent needs of the world’s growing population.
Regardless of their plant origin, says an article on IDTechEx Still animals, the meat of the future seems increasingly not to come from animals, but from 3D printers.
There are more realistic predictions: Soon, every consumer’s kitchen will be in its Install a 3D food printer on a countertop Machine – This is just another kitchen tool that makes preparing meals (or snacks) easier and faster.
How does a food printer work? Most people know What is a printer. It prints out a copy of the page where you put the information. This technology has been around for a long time. But can printers make food? Is this related to climate change? protect environment?
Actually, how a 3D food printer works is not that complicated, at least the concept of how it works. Do you remember the pizza vending machine that appeared in 2015? In this case, prepare the dough and squeeze it out of one of the printer’s cartridges onto a plate. Next, the dough is sprinkled with tomato sauce and cheese and sent to the oven—all done on the same machine. Think of it as a primitive 3D food printing process.
Advances in using laser technology to heat food have progressed since then – again on the same machine. Imagine when you open the door of your printer, press the wonton button on the printer and have your cooked wontons ready.
All of this, or at least some of it, is still the future, but there is always a way to the future faster than we think.
At the end of the day, most 3D food printing is done by feeding food materials such as dough, cheese, frosting, or even raw meat into a syringe-like container, followed by a nozzle around a “plate” around a “track shape” “move, then extrude from them, one layer at a time. That’s how you get layers, like pizza.
Will you find this technology in a fast food restaurant? almost not. Instead, these printers are showing up in gourmet restaurants and upscale bakeries. Or you can attend a special event featuring a 3D food printer.
There is even a travel restaurant that offers not only 3D printed food, but also 3D printed tables, chairs, silverware, and more.
3D printed pears But what about nutrition? at TedxHigh by Lynette Kucsma During Point’s presentation, she let the audience know right away that she had always considered herself a healthy eater. That’s why she was so skeptical about 3D printing food in the first place.
But when she did some research on it, she found out that it is possible to eat healthy using a 3D printer. In fact, she’s now the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Foodini maker Natural Machines.
Describing the current state of the new technology, she told her audience: “This is science fact, not science fiction.”
She even predicted 3D Printers will follow the path of microwave development. When they were first introduced in the 1970s, “people didn’t get it,” she said. Some even think they cause cancer. They would ask “Why do I need one when I already have a really good oven in my kitchen?”
But things have changed, she said. Now, 90% of our kitchens are equipped with microwaves.
She predicts that 3D printers will follow the same line, but faster, simply because technology is advancing so fast these days. Soon, she said, they will be the size of a microwave and become a common kitchen appliance.
Speaking of nutrition, she told her audience “Let’s print more food with fresh, healthy, real, wholesome ingredients. Let’s stay away from packaged processed foods.”
She points out that by staying away from these foods, you will eat more nutritious foods.
“And it’s healthier that way,” she said.
cost? 3D Printing Expert Hubs. com co-founder and CCO Filemon Schoffer said the price of 3D food printers varies based on their capabilities and audience.
Precision printers that can reach high nozzle temperatures can be much more expensive and more attractive to businesses, he said.
However, for those looking to get started at home, you can buy the base model for $100 to $500. Advanced home users can expect to spend around $300 to $1,000, while business users who want a more sophisticated model can spend upwards of $5,000.
He says there are many models available for home use, but it’s important to do your research before spending money on a 3D printer, as there are so many different options.
How about food safety?
Food is okay, printer advocates say, safe, but only if the food is prepared in a sterile machine, And the preparer follows hygienic procedures. It’s no different from any kitchen necessities.
However, in Basic Guide to 3D Printing for Food Safety: Regulations, Technologies, Materials and More, 3D printed food safety is not a simple matter and will come down to a clear yes or no Answer. Producing 3D printed parts for food contact items requires careful consideration of risks based on their intended use.
3D printed parts can be turned into petri dishes with bacteria in weeks. While some materials can survive in the dishwasher, so can dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella that live in small nooks and crannies. Some toxic molds find favorable growth conditions on several types of plastics and are difficult to remove. Cleaning with bleach or the microwave is not an option for getting rid of germs.
In any event, the food people eat must meet strict safety standards.
future
According to research by Hubs.com, new research predicts that the overall 3D printing market will continue to grow through 2026 as 3D printing technology continues to evolve 24% to $44.5 billion.
There are now dozens of food printers on the market, thanks in part to public interest and the rapid development of the technology involved.
Filemon Schoffer, co-founder and head of CCO Hubs.com, said overall, due to increased automation, scalable quality control, reduced processing costs and further industry consolidation , 3D printing will show more signs of growth in 2022 and beyond.
He said that key factors such as these “will help 3D printing become a powerful industrial manufacturing process commensurate with its enormous potential.”
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