Oct 25, 2017 | By Benedict

Two researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem claim to have developed food 3D printing technology capable of printing entire meals from nano-cellulose, a naturally occurring fiber that contains no calories.

3D printed food. Do you need it? No. Do you want it? Not especially. Are companies going to continue exploiting the highly novel concept in order to make money? Of course they are. And since it’s going to happen anyway, why not just get on board? From 3D printed pizza to 3D printed candy, these complex treats are here to stay. Yum!

Okay, perhaps that’s a little dismissive. Some food 3D printing innovators are working on advanced technology that lets users put precise quantities of certain ingredients, vitamins, nutrients etc. in their 3D prints, which could be practical for any number of reasons.

3D printed meat is even being considered as a way to assist elderly people who have trouble chewing solid foods. (And who presumably like their edible pastes in nice shapes.)

The latest case of 3D printed food comes from Israel, where a pair of researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem say they have developed a novel food 3D printing technology capable of printing entire nutritious meals.

(Image: ILTV Israel Daily)

At present, they’ve only printed dough—something that’s already been done by companies like BeeHex—but they say there is a wide range of possibilities for the gastronomic additive manufacturing tech.

The researchers are professors Oded Shoseyov and Ido Braslavsky, both of whom are part of the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at Hebrew University, and who are  working under the Yissum Research Development Company (the university’s technology transfer company) for their food 3D printing endeavors.

As their 3D printing material, the researchers have chosen nano-cellulose, a natural fiber that contains no calories. They’ve been studying the fiber for years, and say it can be easily broken down by enzymes in your gut.

(Image: ILTV Israel Daily)

Rather than roll this digestible material around a spool like plastic filament, Shoseyov and Braslavsky are going to pack it in cartridges along with proteins, carbohydrates, fat, antioxidants and vitamins.

The 3D printer will purportedly process these cartridges with an infrared laser, heating and shaping the formless foodstuff according to computer instructions.

When this heat is applied, the nano-cellulose serves to bind the meal together, while the heat can even make the 3D printed food seem baked, grilled, or fried. This, the researchers say, will lead to synthetic foods that taste a lot like traditional meals.

The obvious question that provokes is “Why make 3D printed food at all then?” But the Hebrew University professors think the technology could serve those with gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets, as well as diabetics, athletes, and others who need to keep a close eye on what they consume.

The researchers are currently talking with investors about the possibility of commercializing their patent-pending food 3D printing process. If all goes to plan, they expect to have their 3D printed food in select eateries within a couple of years, and even in home kitchens within five years.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer

 

 

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Liesbeth van Hoef wrote at 10/26/2017 6:41:52 PM:

Strange movie, all you can see is the byFlow 3Dfoodprinter, printing an 11 courses Michelin menu in their 3D restaurant travelling around the world. That printer can heat the printplatform up to 80 degrees but doesn't have a laserbeam. As you can see it can print excellent designs but later you see also normal food which isn't printed. I don't believe people will be interested synthetic foods, more and more it is clear that natural food is healthy if you eat it in a proper way. Want to know more about what is possible now? Watch the gallery of byFlow with beautifull examples of chefs, chocolatiers and patissiers make. I am very impressed!



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