Applications of Food 3D Printing Technology

The dietary pattern and eating habits of consumers are constantly changing with busy lifestyles. The consumer's food decisions and marketability of developed products are assessed by nutritional and functional benefits, cost, eating pleasure, taste, and convenience. Due to increasing awareness about physical wellbeing, the markets of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and personal care products witnessed a hike in the last decade. However, the nutritional needs of individuals are highly varied making the food industry look for alternative technology. 3D food printing is a fascinating technology that allows customizing the foods based on individual likeness without compromising the nutritional benefits. Although the applications of 3D printing are well-identified in non-food sectors, its applications are at the infant stage in the food industry. The present chapter summarizes various applications of 3D printing in the food industry. 3D printing not only automates food production but also reduces the multiple unit operations thereby simplifies the food supply chain. As a sustainable technology 3D printing aids in combating climate change and allow efficient utilization of uncommon food sources and waste by-products to be processed into value-added 3D printed foods. This chapter outlines the advantages of food printing over conventional food processing highlighting various opportunities of 3D printing in food customization, personalized nutrition, food packaging, communication, and teaching aid. Further, the advancements and future outlook of 3D printing on integration with conventional food processing and biotechnological approaches are detailed. Understanding the research feasibilities of 3D printing in the food industry is adequate in expanding the lab-scale applications to the industrial level especially in alleviating global hunger and malnourishment.