3D Printers: The Future Of Food
Over the last few years, 3D printing has opened up a whole world of possibilities that even the most ingenious inventors of yore could only ever dream of. Up until now, food production has eluded 3D printers, but that’s about to change.
Multi-dimension printing pioneers 3D Systems debuted their latest brainchild this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Known for their unique 3D creations, they’ve cracked the printing code and have broken all baking rules with their machine that actually prints sugar shapes and chocolate. Their 3D food printers come in two models; the ChefJet, which makes monochromatic treats, and ChefJet Pro, allowing more seasoned confectioners to print in color and even mix and match a variety of flavors.
If you’re wondering how it all works, it’s not so different than your standard desktop printer. Liz von Hasseln, one half of The Sugar Lab and 3D Systems’ current Creative Food Director, said, “[the inkjet head] spreads a very fine layer of sugar, then paints water onto the surface of the sugar, and that water allows the sugar to recrystalize and harden to form these complex geometries.” For printed produce, it’s said to taste pretty good, too.
