3D Food printing

Kjeld van Bommel

 Food preparation in the future
24th century technology 23rd century technology

Food replicator: food is prepared by rearranging Food synthesizer: food is prepared in high-speed
subatomic particles, to form molecules and arrange equipment and moved to a food slot via a small turbo-
those molecules to form the food object. lift technology

image: Star Trek Voyager Paramount Television image: Star Trek the Original Series Paramount Television
Food printing at TNO

80+ years of R&D experience and a unique combination of

expertise areas:
Rapid Manufacturing
65 FTE / 15+ years RM experience / 3 years food printing experience
equipment, process, and materials R&D
RM facilities (FDM, SLA, SLS, PBP, IJP)
general engineering and manufacturing facilities
Food science
300+ FTE / 80+ years of experience / 3 years food printing experience
ingredient, (re)formulation, and product knowledge and R&D
knowledge and R&D on extraction and use of alternative ingredients
specialized food preparation and characterization facilities
Introduction to 3D food printing
Rapid Manufacturing (3D printing)

3D printing allows the layer-wise building of a structure directly

from a 3D computer drawing using computer-controlled additive
fabrication techniques without human intervention.
Not just printing

3D printing, a.k.a.
rapid manufacturing
additive manufacturing
additive layer manufacturing
rapid prototyping
freeform fabrication
inkjet 3D printing
powder bed printing
stereolithography (SLA)
selective laser sintering (SLS)
direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)

electron beam melting (EBM)

fused deposition modeling (FDM)

laminated object manufacturing (LOM)

Why print food?

Personalized food Alternative ingredients

?
ingredients, composition,
flavors, shapes, size
health/medical, lifestyle, (dis)likes
?
proteins from algae, grass,
lupine seeds, beet leaf, insects
create tasty, structured foods

Convenience Design freedom

?
freshly prepared food
when you want it
personal chef + microwave
?
innovative shapes, textures,
flavors, etc.
new product concepts, fun!
Where print food?

Large food companies Small food companies

? ?
(centralized) (local)

food concept development patisseries / bakers

mass production printed food chocolate copy shop
personalized / on demand (design)

Food service industry Home

? ?
(centralized or local) (local)

catering / restaurants personalized food

sport & health centers (design, composition)
(personalized: design, comp.)
 Food printer concepts Molculaire - image: Electrolux

Cornucopia - image: MIT

Food printer - image: Philips Atomium - image: Electrolux

 Chocolate printer - image: ChocEdge

Food printers

Foodini - image: Natural Machines

ChefJet - image: 3D Systems

Technologies FDM
Technologies PBP
Technologies SLS
Technologies SLA
Materials types for food printing

FDM: Purees, gels, molten materials, doughs

PBP: Powders + Liquids / molten materials
SLS: Powders
SLA: Liquids
Wide range of materials are theoretically suitable.
...BUT, not all materials and formulations are directly suitable.

Materials, processes, and equipment must be matched, tuned, and/or adapted:

Material and recipe adaptation/reformulation
Process parameter tuning
Equipment modification
How to 3D print food
From idea to 3D printed shape

material and
process parameters
New food products: not straightforward

material and
process parameters
Formulation + process optimization
Formulation 1 Formulation 2 Formulation ##

20% 80% 20% 80% 20% 80%

40% 60% 40% 60% 40% 60%

20% 80% 20% 80% 20% 80%

40% 60% 40% 60% 40% 60%

Optimized formulation

Settings
Line distance = 0.1 mm
Writing speed = 1250 mm/sec
Laser power = 50 %
Layers = 50
Shape = Hollow cube 15x15x15 mm
Layer thickness = 0.3 mm
Food printing at TNO
Early food products printed @ TNO
Early food products printed @ TNO continued
Collaboration TNO Cas Spijkers Academy
 Starter

egg design printer file 3D printed version 2.0

Challenges
light, airy meringue texture needed with good flavors (yuzu, PX sherry)
savory meringue high water, low sugar lower structural stability
high moisture filling will be added meringue must not get soggy

Solutions
meringue protocol Italian meringue with low moisture and small air bubbles
printing protocol double walled structure, heating and pre-drying whilst printing
Faberg egg
 Main

truffle 3D scanner printer file 3D printed

Challenges
develop recipe that combines printability, high strength, texture and taste
liquid oil/water filling will be added shape must not leak or get soft

Solutions
formulation cocoa butter, white chocolate, milled dried cpes powder
printing protocol printing temperature(s) control, rapid cooling, nozzle diameter
Autumn
 Dessert

original photo printer file 3D printed

Challenges
good adherence to surface and subsequent temperature stability
clear drawing

Solutions
formulation crme ptissire + surface treatment
printing protocol optimized line drawing path
Masterpiece
Food printing projects for gastronomy
3D printed Michelin star desert
Beyond shape...
Food printing of textures
 Personalized food printing

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

leg of chicken mash hand-made, shaped PERFORMANCE meals
leg of chicken personalised & shaped meals,
(non-personalized) industrially manufactured
Personalized food parameters

For any given food item (e.g. a piece of broccoli) the following
parameters can be personalized:

Composition
total # calories
added macronutrients: protein, fat
added micronutrients: minerals, vitamins, PUFAs

Other
size
hardness
Mixing tests with pea puree
puree + oil = 2:1 puree + oil = 4:1

puree + oil + binder = 4:2:4 puree + oil + binder = 6:1:3

Printing tests with pureed pork meat

Print test cubes to evaluate:

after building after heating
building performance (10 sec microwave)

looks

low % binder
object strength
stability after heating

high % binder
Performance 3D printed vegetables
 Food texture development using 3D printing

Example: texture made via powder bed printing (PBP)

Targeted spatial arrangement for texture modulation

powder bed: model material formulation(s)
printer(s): 3 printer heads each containing different ingredients

Oil droplet/
Solution droplet

Layer 4
Layer 3
Layer 2
Layer 1
 Investigating ingredient functionality required for
3D food printing

Wet powder bed (with test material)

Barrier/test material

Dry powder bed

multilayer testing systems (here moisture/color diffusion was tested)

 Multi-texture 3D cake-type product

porous layer
dense layer
porous layer

shape after baking

The future of 3D printed food
 Equipment and Materials development directions

CONNECTION
EQUIPMENT MATERIALS EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS

texture /
industrial
structure

gastronomy / completely
prof kitchen new product

shape /
home decoration
The future tastes good
What would you like to print?

Let us know!
Dr. ir. Kjeld van Bommel
TNO Technical Sciences
kjeld.vanbommel@tno.nl
office +31 888 665 449
mobile +31 6 127 200 19

TNO.NL/3DFOOD