www.3ders.org

Feb 20, 2019 | By Cameron

A young entrepreneur in the Netherlands is reducing food waste with 3D printed food. Nearly a third of all food produced around the world goes to waste, and yet people still go hungry. Causing much of this huge amount of waste are the obstacles of food preservation and freshness. Essentially, food goes bad during transport or while sitting on shelves waiting to be purchased or used. Elzelinde van Doleweerd recently graduated from the University of Eindhoven with a degree in industrial design, but she also studied food technology; for her final project, she was able to meld the two fields by processing foods that would otherwise be tossed into a 3D printed format that’s easier to preserve.

Her project was well received, so she started the company Upprinting Food. Various foods are wasted at different rates depending on the region, so Van Doleweerd started at home. "In the Netherlands we are wasting lots of bread," commented Van Doleweerd. "When bread is old, it is dry and we do not like to eat it anymore. For this reason I started with the development of a food paste with old bread."

"I boil the vegetables and fruit peels, dry the bread or use the boiled rice," she explained. "The ingredients are mashed, mixed together, ground and sieved. A smooth paste can be printed and baked afterwards." By making a paste of the food and storing it in sealed containers, the food is protected from exposure to air, a contributing factor to spoilage. Each 3D printed piece is baked afterwards to remove moisture, another cause of spoilage. "This is so no bacterial activity can take place," said Van Doleweerd. "This way the food is safe to eat and we can save it for a very long period."

Much of her role involves consulting with restaurant managers and chefs to determine what food waste in their kitchen can be reprocessed. "They are made from more than 75 percent residual food flows, as well as some additional ingredients to make a smooth paste and some spices for flavouring. I created sweet and savoury samples, with different herbs and spices," reporting that they’re cracker-like.

To expand the range of her product, Van Doleweerd collaborated with Beijing-based 3D Food Company. "In China people eat lots of rice, but also lots of boiled rice is wasted. So I created a printable food paste with rice instead of bread, as well as vegetables and fruit," related Van Doleweerd. The beautiful geometric shapes and bowls were on display for Beijing Design Week, and only with 3D printing can food waste be converted into something that looks like fine dining.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

Maybe you also like:

• Procter & Gamble partners with Aether on 3D printing and artificial intelligence
• DSTA Singapore and thyssenkrupp to explore 3D printing for submarines
• SFU researchers use cellulose material to 3D print wireless IoT sensors
• NASA awards $2M to team making tiny 3D printed sensors for planetary rovers
• FELIXprinters introduces large-format Pro L and Pro XL FFF/FDM 3D printers
• 3D bioprinted BioMask could quickly heal facial skin wounds
• 3Doodler App turns your smartphone screen into a 3D printing pen canvas
• Newcastle University researchers 3D bioprint artificial cornea with self-assembling 4D biomaterials
• Lamborghini uses Carbon 3D printing for production of auto parts at scale
• Daniel Harari invented and 3D printed an Active Strain Relief device for filament

   

Leave a comment:

Your Name: