Effect of the addition of beeswax on the gel properties and microstructure of white mushroom powder-based hybrid gelator system for 3D food printing

Using white mushroom powder as raw material, this study proposes a new strategy to apply it to 3D food printing and improve its printing applicability. The effects of beeswax-gelatin-carrageenan hybrid gelator on the gel strength, rheological properties, microstructure and thermal stability of white mushroom powder-based inks were investigated. The results showed that the addition beeswax could significantly increase the gel strength of the ink (p < 0.05), and enable 3D food printed objects (cubes and seals) with smoother surface and great self-supporting capacity. The rheological results revealed that the hybrid gelator system was a pseudoplastic fluid with shear-thinning behavior, and beeswax addition could increase its elastic modulus and loss modulus. This rheological property was caused by the formation of new crystal forms of beeswax after mixing with the ink in water bath. It could be seen from the microstructure that the added beeswax was evenly distributed in the network structure, which affected the printing performance during the printing process. In addition, the addition of beeswax could reduce the thermal stability of the ink, but had little effect at room temperature. These results suggested that addition of beeswax had positive effects on the gel properties of the hybrid gelator system, and this work facilitated the practical application of white mushroom in 3D food printing.