3D printing as it relates to the food world was the topic that I sought to initially research, and research I sure did; click by click via the internet  beginning with a simple search via Google, diving deeper and deeper into articles, videos, and blogs, whilst minutes turned into hours with me not being conscious of the phenomenon unfolding (this is all too common with the internet; darn time sink!) .  Before having had conducted any research into this particular area, I had not the slightest clue about the technology and its real use aside from some rather sci-fi esque thoughts that have been engrained in my mind from various films and television shows where-in food can be essentially materialized and be ready for consumption nearly instantaneously; it seemed like the book Fabricated mislead me in a similar fashion.  I would come to learn that reality has not yielded such results yet and that the technology is still in a stage of refinement and evolution in hopes that one day, in the near future, it could attain such imaginative uses.  The following will address 3D printing as it relates to food by providing insight on where it is today, where it hopes to be in the future by alluding to previous “Blog Expert postings” and several new sources, and finally a more personal reflection of why this is all significant, what further questions lie ahead, and finally what the implications are for both myself and for the larger communities touched by this particular area; food.

The use of 3D printing technology today is rather limited as in reality it is much more of a platform for experimentation by researchers, hobbyists, and tech enthusiasts due to the various impracticalities it faces at this point in time on the basis of cost, efficiency, and its simplistic uses among others problems.  As highlighted in “Blog Expert #2,” the TEDx Talk by the founders of Sugar Lab, a confectionary 3D printing focused business, stressed the fact that one should look at 3D printing from the perspective that the technology should not redefine traditional processes, but do something new that could not have been accomplished before.  Again, to portray this, one of the initial desires (and what would serve to come as the inspiration for the founding of the company) was to create a cake through unconventional means for a friend’s birthday celebration, particularly omitting the use of an oven.  However, this particular goal was not achieved and what actually came out of the initial vision was the creation of a 3D printed cupcake topper.  This is a far departure from actually having had made a full-fledged edible and appetizing cake, but it serves to prove that the technology is rather limited in its functionality and adaptability today.  Another example of this comes from the real-world experiences of Jeffery Lipton, a leader of Cornell’s Fab@Home lab, as mentioned in “Blog Expert #5.”  Here, one of the initial desires was to 3D print and mimic actual food items such as bananas, but the results were less than satisfactory as the “yuck” factor was quickly encountered due to the uncanny nature of what the tech yielded.  Thus, returning to the “experimental nature of the tech,” today individuals are able to purchase and pre-order some 3D food printers.  Examples include the Choc Edge, ChocaByte, and the Foodini.  Again, the uses and functionality of the printers are rather limited creating for a rather underwhelming impression.  First, the Choc Edge is effectively a machine that serves simply to extrude into particular designs and shapes; it sells for approximately $5,000 via the company website chocedge.com.  The actual uses for the machine are rather limited as it is only really capable of utilizing chocolate and even then the creation of the desired design or object takes considerable time; the machine is not much of a “looker” either:

 (Image via https://chocedge.com/choc-creator-v1.php)

Next, the ChocaByte (chocabyte.com) too a printer focused on printing designs and shapes via chocolate.  However, this particular device is projected to sell at $99 and thus more palatable for those wanting to experiment and experience the tech from a food perspective; chocolate is much more palatable than melted plastic!  However, the most intriguing printer among those mentioned is called the Foodini, a product created by Natural Machines (naturalmachines.com).  It is slated to retail for $3,000 and is intended to streamline some processes with making food from scratch as per the company description;

“Our launch product is a 3D food printer. We call it Foodini. We are using an open capsule model, meaning the consumer prepares and places fresh ingredients in Foodini. Natural Machines is going to make preparing food healthier, easier, and so much fun. Foodini is the first 3D printer to print all types of real, fresh, nutritious foods, from savory to sweet. It uses fresh, real ingredients, making the Foodini the first 3D food printer kitchen appliance to contribute to a healthy eating lifestyle” –  (http://www.naturalmachines.com/press-kit/).

Again, the uses are rather limited as the printer still essentially serves as an extruder of sorts to make simplistic food stuffs out of unconventional ingredients or design intricate patterns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPngd9NkX3A

(Images via http://www.naturalmachines.com/press-kit/)

Next, the majority of intrigue lays in what the future holds for 3D printed food, and this particular idea holds possibilities ranging from that of creating macro-nutrient rich foods to actually replacing traditional methods we acquire particular food stuffs (meat through bio-fabrication rather than slaughter).  While the creation of nutritional food items to improve one’s diet or to actually help an individual meet specific nutritional needs due to medical necessities has already been highlighted in prior postings (Blog Expert #2 and #4), the ability to alternatively produce a food item is revolutionary.  3D printing biomaterial in order to create artificial raw meat is exactly what the company Modern Meadow (modernmeadow.com) hopes to accomplish.  As a matter of fact, this particular US start-up has been backed by Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel and hopes to ultimately create a safe, sustainable, economical, and ethical alternative to the traditional livestock industry through the use of 3D technology to assemble tissue.

(Images via http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20972018)

However, to provide insight as to where this “wish” is at this point in time, researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, whom have managed to showcase small pieces of artificially grown muscle only 2cm long, 1cm wide, and about 1mm thick, have estimated the cost to product  whole hamburger at approximately $340,000, but have stated that the cost will significantly drop as the technology matures and evolves (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20972018).

In conclusion, 3D printing must be considered in both its current form and what the future holds for its development and uses because simply considering just one of these aspects would not do justice to the technology and all the efforts, both academic and entrepurnial, that have been vested thus far and will come to emerge as time goes on.  I believe that 3D printing and food are extremely significant to us as living and breathing individuals as we require nourishment in order to survive day-to-day.  We have become accustomed to readily available food stuffs through both food establishments and retail fronts.  Convenience is key here and is a driving force in this day and age as we do not have to actively seek nourishment by hunting or gathering.  Also, convenience holds true in the actual way we prepare food through such inventions as the microwave which can have a meal cooked or heated and ready for consumption in a matter of minutes.  People in the past could not have foresaw the development that we have in this day and age and thus it is my firm belief that although a lot of terminology attributed to 3D printing is vested in such thoughts as promise, hope, and potential, it is actually the case for what lies ahead.  Questions that come to mind considering such aspects are: Will 3D food printers be in every home just as we commonly find microwaves today?  Will they be accessible and practical?  What will they be capable of making?  Will the food need to be cooked?  Will the technology solve the issue of perishability?  Will whole industries be affected and in what way?  Can we finally materialize food when we have particular cravings?  There are numerous questions that can be asked concerning the future, and one is only limited to their imagination in this aspect.  Undoubtedly, with the emergence of the technology there will be changes to how we prepare and see food.  I firmly believe that the future will result in the majority of traditional industries changing as a lot more food will become processed, but not in the conventional unhealthy sense we associate the term today.  Macro-nutrient enriched food will improve the overall health of many and 3D printed meat will become a norm especially when considering the amount of time and effort required to maintain cattle farms.  These advances and developments can then aid in solving problems such as world hunger as products become cheaper, more nutritious, and readily available.

(Deep-fried space shuttle scallop produced via Cornell’s Fab@Home printer; image courtesy of Wired; Credit to Fab@Home; http://www.wired.com/2013/02/3-d-food-printer-space/)

What better way to end a series of blog posts than to take the technology as it relates to food and mesh it with space.  Straying off tangent, when the majority of “story” settings have been exhausted and ideas are scarce, we tend to see known characters taking their activities to the far reaches of space.  Here, we have had the treat to enjoy such gripping movies as Jason X (hope you can detect sarcasm here), where beloved masked cult horror icon, Jason Voorhees, takes his beloved activity of manslaughter and proceeds to do what he does best in space; even beloved game icon Mario has explored the reaches of space courtesy of the Mario Galaxy series of games.  This particular blog post will take 3D technology as it relates to food and highlight its potential use in the realm of space travel, and what it means for astronauts and their future meals.

Looking back to March’s initial post (BLOG EXPERT #1), I had briefly touched on NASA’s involvement in the 3D printing realm as they had offered a $125,000 grant for someone to design a printer that would be used by astronauts during their time in space.  Here, I had not really focused on this particular aspect as the post was meant to address the topic of 3D printing and cuisine at large, but it did allude to the fact that one of the primary hopes was to extend the shelf-life of food stuffs so that astronauts could partake in long journeys.  One of the issues facing space exploration and flight for extended periods of time is the fact that  astronauts aren’t receiving variety in their food offerings, and this issue is addressed by Michelle Terfansky, an astronautical engineer whom studied the potential and challenges of 3D printing as it applies to space; “…astronauts on the space station are eating the same seven days of food on rotations of two or three weeks.”  As a matter of fact, Michelle then mentions the fact that this issue is cause for concern as during long space missions, food, which is meant to act as a source of comfort to people, holds no variety and thus may add to the high-stress environment that is experienced during space endeavours.  Like many other previous blog posts have pointed out, the desire is to create food stuffs loaded with nutrients in order to benefit those consuming them, in this case astronauts.  However, limitations of the technology in its current state are always important to consider and this is something that many tend to overlook.  As it applies to food, such an issue was highlighted by Jeffery Lipton, a leader of Cornell’s Fab@Home lab, which partook in early tests of a 3D food printer with which the team produced printed bananas and mushrooms amongst other food items; “We quick;y ran into the yuck factor… It was the Uncanny Valley of food…  It was very close to, but still unlike, the cuisine people expected.”

 Gross enough? 🙂

 (Block of turkey paste produced via Cornell’s Fab@Home printer; image courtesy of Wired; Credit to Fab@Home; http://www.wired.com/2013/02/3-d-food-printer-space/)

Michelle sees 3D printing evolving to the point of being able to produce a variety of food items that mimic real food all via one machine within the next 5-10 years.  However,  Jeffery Lipton believes that this technology is still 15-20 years or more away, particularly to reach the point of being able to actually construct a full meal from nothing; he does see the technology being adopted first in places such as hospitals or space stations whee specific nutritional needs are required.  Thus, with all this mind it is important to note that the technology is still in infancy.  Current research and experimentation is actively being pursued by a variety of individuals and organizations to develop it into something feasible, practical, and just plain amazing so that all the “hopes” and “wishes” of 3D printing and its utilization in a variety of applications can come into fruition.  Innovative thinking, experimentation, and advances in technology all come into play for what lies in the future for the technology and this notion can be best summarized via a quote by Lipton; “It’s an exciting premise it’s just a long ways away….”

http://www.wired.com/2013/02/3-d-food-printer-space/

Dysphagia, as defined by Wikipedia, is the medical term for the difficulty associated with swallowing.  According to statistics provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, studies indicate that this issue affects approximately 22% of those aged 50 or over and that nearly 10 million Americans are diagnosed with swallowing difficulties.  This particular blog post will focus on how 3D printing technology, in its current capacity, can help improve the quality of life in those individuals affected by Dysphagia.

3D printing in the food world is mostly a concept that remains in constant refinement as the technology has not progressed to the point where it can replace the “wonderful” manual processes of shopping for ingredients and food stuffs, preparing them, and the cooking process itself (only applicable if you aren’t a proponent of raw foodism of course).  A lot of potential exists in the 3D printing realm for creating “super-foods” fortified with extra nutrients and solid macro-nutrient profiles, but it doesn’t serve to actually improve one’s quality of life due to the confines of the technology and what foods it can realistically apply to at this point-in-time aside from cost and efficiency considerations.  Dysphagia as defined earlier is the difficulty of swallowing as the larynx fails to close properly during the process and food goes into the lungs rather than the stomach which results in serious health complications including death.  A company by the name of Biozoon Food Innovations based in Germany is looking to help those affected by the problem by providing a printer that is capable of creating easily digestible food which maintains the shape and texture of the actual food product it is intended to mimic.

(All pictures courtesy of http://biozoon.de/en/products/seneopro/#prettyPhoto)

According to Matthias Kuck, the CEO of Biozoon Food Innovations in nursing homes an estimated 60% of people suffer from this particular problem and are thus fed “porridge-like food” which creates a problem as they often see other residents not affected by the issue eat “real” solid food items such as chicken and vegetables.  Consequently, Matthias says that in nursing homes meals themselves tend to be extremely important social events as many individuals meet together and eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner together.  It can be seen that for such an individual whom suffers from the disorder and is not able to actually partake in such a task as to eat real food stuffs such as that of their fellow residents can take an emotional toll that can potentially lead to physical problems such as depression.  This project entitled “PERFORMANCE” is a collaborative project headed by Biozoon and supported by the European Union and it aims to primarily aid the elderly meet nutritional needs; “…to develop and validate a holistic, personalized food supply chain for frail elderly in nursing homes, ambient assisted living facilities or at home (served by nursing services).”  The project has been a work in process since 2012 and aims for completion by the end of 2015 with 3D food printer technology having been developed to the point of providing appetizing and safe food items.  Here, Kuck holds that elderly residents will have the option of picking from a variety of different menus weekly with the meals having been produced in a manufacturing plant prior to delivery via the 3D printer technology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphagia

http://www.asha.org/research/reports/dysphagia/

http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/105482_en.html

http://horizon-magazine.eu/article/transforming-mealtimes-3d-printed-food_en.html

Unlike my previous “BLOG EXPERT POST #2” which focused on current uses of 3D printing technology in food (regarding confectionery applications) this entry highlights not only a new manufacturing process for 3D printing, which resembles the Henry Ford model of assembly line manufacturing and thus allotting for a more economic and efficient process, but the innovations that can be brought to food both from a nutritional and “fun” aspect and how it all ties into making some types of food a viable 3D printed product.

TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) is a nonprofit company in the Netherlands that focuses on applied science.  According to their website (http://www.3ders.org/articles/20131230-tno-italian-pasta-maker-barilla-working-on-3d-pasta-printers.html)  they were the first in the world to show that 3D printing can be done in a continuous production process, much like the assembly line model first employed by Henry Ford, instead of the traditional and customary process of batch production.  This particular manufacturing technique is said to lead to new types of production systems for the manufacturing of complex and multi-material products ranging from electronics to food.  Regarding my primary focus on food, this is a huge innovation because food in itself is complex and depending on the type does not lend itself to be produced in a batch manner and still remain economical and efficient given current technology especially when considering a mass market.  Listed below is a video of this manufacturing technique:

Now, as this process applies to food, one must consider that food in itself is a very complex thing in general.  Different textures, ingredients, formulas, and such all must be carefully considered during the production process of a wide variety of foods and in this particular case pasta.  TNO is currently working with Barilla, an Italy-based top pasta manufacturer, to produce a 3D printer that is capable of printing 15-20 pieces of pasta every two minutes.  Kjeld van Bommel, the project leader at TNO, has said that the two entities have been working on the project for more than two years and that several experimental 3D food printers have already been installed in various restaurants in the Netherlands with hopes that the technology would expand internationally by 2014.  The technology during two years of research has rapidly evolved as stated by van Bommel; “The print speed now is ten times faster than when we started two years ago.”  This endeavour, on a basic front, is to ultimately provide restaurant guests with a custom made pasta for restaurant patrons during special occasions such as an anniversary in which the pasta can be made into the shape of a rose for instance.  Consequently, it would also allow the ability to have an individual patron save a design and bring it to a restaurant employing the technology and have the design created on-site. (http://www.3ders.org/articles/20131230-tno-italian-pasta-maker-barilla-working-on-3d-pasta-printers.html)

However, TNO’s vision is much broader and they hope to one day reach the point where the technology can be used to manufacture 3D printed foods that are made of healthier ingredients and have exact macro nutrient contents that would address the nutritional needs for a wide variety of people such as senior’s whom would need more protein and calcium in their diet to ensure optimal health.  Also, the employment of alternative ingredients such as algae can be too integrated into foods to enrich an individuals’ diet and make it more well-rounded overall.  This brings more truth to the notion that food can be both fun and good!

As the semester progresses and my knowledge of 3D printing grows, understanding the current limitations and realistic possibilities in the near future become integral components to realizing where 3D printed food will first find its stride.  Having visited NRI on 4/9/14, a 3D printing fabrication service in midtown Manhattan, finally provided a clearer picture of what is possible with the technology currently, its applications, some basic information concerning costs, and the mechanics of the 3D printers themselves.  Originally I had thought that 3D printing seemingly materialized an object a-la sci-fi tech, but in reality the printing process is rather lengthy, employs modified “inkjet” cartridges, and most commonly relies on a layer by layer building process.  This particular blog post highlights a more typical “current” use in regards to 3D food.

The Sugar Lab, a confectionery 3D printing start-up (recently acquired by 3D Systems; a provider of consumer and industrial 3D printing and manufacturing solutions) located in LA, California gave a Tedx Talk in January of 2014 highlighting some ways that the technology can change the “sugar design” front aka the confectionery business.  The main point stressed is what can one do with 3D printing that hasn’t been done before; a point too stressed during the visit to NRI by Arthur Young-Spivey, a digital fabrication specialist from NRI.  This is a perspective that I had never really focused on, especially before the point was stressed by experts, as my original thought was that replicating current products at a more effective and efficient cost and time consideration was the primary problem the technology would address.  Kyle von Hasseln, one of the founders of Sugar Lab mentions that the inspiration for the company came from originally wanting to bake a cake without an oven for a friend’s Birthday.  On the realistic front what became of this vision was the creation of a 3D printed cupcake topper that spelled the friend’s name in cursive.  Here, at its core the idea is simple and relies on simply adding water to sugar because of the solidification process that occurs.

Liz von Hasseln, the other founder of Sugar Lab provides an overview of the actual process by showing that the process begins with a digital 3D model of the object and is run through software that slices the object into layers.  Next, the printer utilizes a modified inkjet print head that paints the layers of the object with water onto sugar with the process continuing until the object has been fully materialized.  Liz then mentions that the end-product does something different that what traditional creations have allowed for typically; “…now the frosting can be structural, it can be sculputural, it can be gemoetric and mathematically precise, it can be intricatly preforated, or it can just look like a duck.  This frosting can basically look like anything you can think of… and that’s been the most exciting part for us expanding what’s possible pushing the technology of 3D printing into a completely new genre and looking for what it can do there that couldn’t be done before.”  The talk concludes with a truly powerful line that genuinely opened my mind more to this view; “…what’s important to us about the sugar parts we’ve shown you today isn’t because they’re beautiful, but that they were recently impossible.”

(All pictures courtesy of http://www.the-sugar-lab.com/gallery)

Applying the recent lessons learned from the class throughout the current semester and the visit to NRI has shifted my main focus on this entry to in the “blog expert post” from ideas that are “pipe dreams” and “wishful pursuits” to actual current real-world applications of the technology.  Sure, the whole order whatever, whenever, and anywhere food aspect is still amazing, but it is nice to see what current feasible uses of the tech in the food world are too.

Before I begin to post some thoughts and basic information in regards to 3D printed food, a topic that I will be covering for the remainder of the spring semester, take a look at this video:

What you have just seen is a machine built by a mechanical engineer by the name of Anjan Contractor whom had won a $125,000 grant from NASA in 2013 to build a experimental 3D printer designed to print food for astronauts.  Now, like most 3D printing related technology and products derived by them in the present, the overall product may not seem too impressive as it seems to be extremely limited in functionality and rather simplistic.  However, 3D technology will undoubtedly advance and grow to become more efficient, effective, and practical as has been seen time-and-time again in a wide variety of instances; computers formerly took up whole rooms and were very limited in functionality, but we all know how far this particular example has evolved over time.

The concept of 3D printed food intrigued me the first time it was hinted at in the book Fabricated by Hod Lipson as the whole notion of printing food on demand in the near future opens up a whole new world of convenience, experimentation, and overall intrigue.  Although my knowledge for the time being is rather limited on the subject I did come across some information regarding the general idea of what is to become of this pizza printing machine.  The plan is to use replaceable powder cartridges as “building blocks” of food which would be combined to produce a variety of foods that can be created by the printer and these cartridges would have a lifespan of 30 years and thus enable long-distance space travel (Souppouris).

http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4350948/nasa-funding-3d-food-printer-pizza

Anjan Contractor does however have broader vision for 3D printed food; “We can pretty much provide food-on-table with very few resources… Let’s say someone is an athlete in the family and they need more protein, we can design recipes for them and print out more protein-nutritious food for that individual and at the same time say someone is pregnant and requiring more iron, we can bring more iron-enriched food.”

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20131009-nasa-funded-3d-food-printer-displayed-at-sxsw-eco.html

My desire and overall goal by researching this topic in 3D printing is to find out how feasible and far from fruition the idea of printed food is to the masses.  What are the limitations on the types of foods that can be printed?  Can the printed foods rival their real counterparts?  How can one replicate the many tastes associated with food?  All these and many more questions to be looked into.  Stay tuned!

Back to the initial video, I need to mention that the finished product looks a lot more appetizing….