3D printers can now transform more than two dozen types of food into edible shapes. While the technology remains costly and impractical for everyday use, experts see significant potential in clinics, care homes and personalised nutrition.
3D printers have long since moved beyond producing plastic parts. Increasingly, they are also being used to print food: instead of plastic filament, the machines extrude soft ingredients such as chocolate, cheese or plant-based meat alternatives through a nozzle, building them up layer by layer. The desired shape must first be designed on a computer.
Several manufacturers are already established in the market, including the Ukrainian-Bulgarian company Chocola3D, the Spanish provider Natural Machines and the German firm Print2Taste. So far, the technology has mainly been used in niche applications, from patisseries to hospitals, while a breakthrough into everyday life has yet to materialise.
Printer can process more than 26 materials
According to the manufacturer, Chocola3D has been in development since 2014, with the company itself founded a few years later. The company says customers are now using the device in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Germany and Estonia. Users fill refillable syringes with pastes such as chocolate, cheese, meat, vegetables or pea protein. In total, the system is said to work with more than 26 different materials.
Unlike devices that use closed capsule systems, the Chocola3D does not tie users to specific refills. However, users have to determine the appropriate printing settings themselves. Depending on the manufacturer, food printers can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand euros.
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