Investigation of the 3D printability of modified starch-based inks and their formation mechanism: Application in ice cream

Traditional ice cream has not been amenable to 3D printing for personalized processing. Hence, this study chose modified starch to enhance the feasibility of 3D printing for ice cream. We selected 7 inks from the ice cream with 13 types of modified starch based on ink stability and rheological properties to investigate the forming mechanism of 3D-printed ice cream. The ice cream ink prepared with hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HDSP) exhibited the highest precision (94.6%), which was attributed to the presence of more hydrogen bonding support and stable protein structure in the ink. These intermolecular interactions resulted in excellent water retention and the formation of a dense gel structure, which further enhanced the elasticity, structure recovery rate (99.66%), and mechanical properties (1896.35Pa) of ink. These enhanced properties contributed to the extrusion of finer line widths (0.95 mm) in the 3D printing process and improved the self-supporting capabilities of printed products, thereby enhancing the accuracy of 3D printed ice cream. Further analysis of the texture properties of printed products provided a comprehensive evaluation of the application potential of modified starch in 3D-printed ice cream. This study offers novel insights into the use of starch materials for personalized production of ice cream.