The image that opens this publication is a cheesecake made by human hands. But within this content you will see the pastry work that 3D printed by scientists who say it will change the world of cakes forever.
According to a report published on the website of Independentresearchers created the cheesecake using edible food inks, like peanut butter, nutella, and strawberry, making strides in the way those foods are made: placing them in crackers and then using food inks to back up other ingredients like jam.
This new research saw scientists at Columbia University cook the food as printed, using a laser, allowing for more different options.
Experts suggest their work could create the future of food, allowing for precise flavors and personalized nutrition, for example, but more work needs to be done before it’s truly useful.
A video posted on the New Scientist YouTube channel shows the process of creating the cheesecake.
The future of confectionery… and of food in general?
Jonathan Blutinger, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of a paper describing this work, explained: “Because 3D food printing is still a nascent technology, it needs an ecosystem of supporting industries, such as food cartridge manufacturers, downloadable recipe files, and an environment in which to create and share these recipes.”.
“Its ability to customize makes it particularly practical for the plant-based meat market, where texture and flavor must be carefully formulated to mimic real meats.Blutinger added.
Eventually, multi-layered food printing could allow people to personalize food, improve food safety, and provide better control over a food’s nutritional data.
In this regard, Christen Cooper, a researcher at Pace University, opined: “We have a huge problem with the low nutritional value of processed foods. 3D food printing will still produce processed foods, but perhaps the silver lining is, for some people, better control and adaptation of nutrition: personalized nutrition”.
