Gaby
Recently, a team of researchers from universities in the USA made a true breakthrough in the confectionery field. Specifically, they printed a dessert with seven ingredients using a 3D printer.
What’s so special about this? After all, this technology excels at printing houses and even organs. However, it turns out that specialists have still not managed to print a full-fledged multi-component dessert like a cheesecake or a layered cake.
Exploring the possibilities of 3D printing in the field of food, the team set out to create a dessert made from seven ingredients. These are crackers, peanut butter, Nutella, banana puree, strawberry jam, cherry paste, and glaze.
The task turned out to be challenging. Time and again, the pastry refused to hold its shape and fell apart. In the end, the scientists managed to achieve a good result. So how did it go?
How the experiment was conducted.
First, the researchers thoroughly studied the structure of each ingredient. Then, they created edible inks from them and loaded them into various cartridges that were placed in a specialized food printer. It is designed specifically for seven components.
After several attempts, the team determined the optimal order of the layers. They also found that the conical shape best maintains the form of the pastry, the publication reported. Independent .
The base of each layer was a paste made from crackers. The softest ingredients – puree and jam – were held together by auxiliary layers of peanut butter and Nutella. Ultimately, the scientists deemed their experiment a success. They confirmed that the taste of the printed complex pastry was unlike any other.
Professor Kristen Cooper from Pace University noted that in the future, 3D printing may help address a pressing issue – the low nutritional value of processed foods. In her opinion, this technology will also be relevant for personalized nutrition. Specifically, for creating high-quality and visually appealing food with a pureed texture for patients with swallowing disorders and other eating difficulties. According to the professor, there are indeed many such individuals.
The lead author of the study, Jonathan Blüthinger from Columbia University, noted that despite initial successes, 3D food printing is still in its infancy. It is possible that one day kitchen printers will become a common tool for homemakers. However, researchers are currently skeptical about this prospect. It is more likely that this technology will eventually be in demand for large-scale food production.
