Application of Additive Manufacturing Technology Advances to Food Processing

Abstract

The additive manufacturing technology has not been used to process or build foods in the required shapes or patterns using raw or cooked ingredients of the food, especially in the varying ingredients ratio. The continuous expansion of additive manufacturing technology application requires that the materials application is expanded to enable it to widen its application. One of the key factors that is slowing down the fast development of the technology is the limited material application. This paper therefore looks at modifying the existing 3D Printer to print foods such as chocolate with varying taste at different layers, or labelling of pastries such already baked cake with inscriptions such as “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”, “HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY”, etc. The author has therefore undertaken a critical study of various processes of additive manufacturing technology and has come out with a modified system branded as “In-flight Mixing System”, an attachment to an available 3D Printer (ReplicatorG). The modified system has been used to cross-mix to blend two ingredients of food (assorted colour of sugar syrup) on the surface of deposition to print layers of the syrup by the influence of compressed air. The In-flight mixing Additive Manufacturing technology avoids mixing of base materials before injecting through nozzles for building, hence preventing waste due to expiration of mixed ingredients.