C.Shruthika, P.Amulya, G.Hemanth Kumar, A. Surendra Babu
Introduction
To customize the appearance, color, and nutrition according to the needs of different consumer groups, which cannot be copied by mold, 4d food printing was introduced (Godoi, prakash, & bhandari, 2016; zoran & coelho, 2011). The concept of 4D printing was proposed by Professor Tibbits of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT in 2013) (Gurung, 2017). The existence of smart materials like shape memory alloy promotes the application of 4D printing technology in aerospace, automobile, soft robot, biomedicine, etc (Ge et al., 2016; Gladman, Matsumoto, Nuzzo, Mahadevan, & Lewis, 2016; Khoo et al., 2015; Kuang et al., 2019). 4D printing has the potential to cater the consumer preferences for unique food products. It becomes possible to attain desired product attributes within an appropriate timeframe, it also presents opportunities for chefs to precisely control the ingredient formulation and the final cooking stages, enhancing the visual appeal and taste of food. A number of food materials have been developed by using printing technology. 4D food printing applications have mainly focused on achieving desirable color, shape, flavor, and nutritional properties of 3D printed materials.
Moreover, it is noted that 5D and 6D printing can in principle print very complex structures with improved strength and less material than do 3D and 4D printing. Food materials used in food ink production include chocolate (Rando and Ramaioli, 2021), soybean (Phuhongsung, Zhang, & Devahastin, 2020b; Balla et al., 2020), meat (Wilson et al., 2020), starch (Zeng et al., 2022) fruit and vegetables (Chen et al., 2021), food hydrocolloids (Pant et al., 2021) etc. The moisture content of the food material used as food ink has a significant role in their printing performance. Hence, using a dried and powdered form of food materials can retain food materials’ nutritional value and functional properties (Lee et al., 2019).
In future, these new technologies are expected to result in significant innovations in all fields, including the production of high quality food products which cannot be produced with current processing technologies. The exploration of 4D food printing is restricted to a few materials such as starch hydrogel, soy protein, and potato puree. Stimulus-induced changes in the color of 4D printed food are explored to a large extent. However, the changes in texture and shape can be explored more, and the use of multiple stimulus-response materials in food ink can be recommended, which may help to observe multiple changes in the 4D printed object under stimuli.
Techniques used in 4d food printing
The 4D food printing employs advanced techniques to create dynamic and interactive food structures.
- Extrusion printing: It is a widely used technique in 4d food printing due to its simplicity and versatility. This method involves programming a virtual 4D model, converting it into layer patterns and codes, and extruding materials through a nozzle to build the desired 4D structure. The rheological properties of the material are crucial, ensuring stability during and after printing, particularly during post-processing like baking. Various nozzle diameters and printing speeds are utilized to achieve different textures and surface finishes. (Navaf et al., 2023)
- Room temperature extrusion: It is used for materials like dough and cheese, allowing high-repeatability in confectionery and pasta printing. (Navaf et al., 2023)
- Hot-melt extrusion: Hot-melt extrusion involving heating and melting materials like chocolate, ensures uniform thickness and density as it solidifies instantly upon extrusion . (Navaf et al., 2023)
- Hydroforming extrusion: It dispenses a hydrocolloid solution into a gel-setting bath, relying on the material’s viscoelastic properties. This technique is ideal for fruit-based soft foods and involves mechanisms like chemical cross-linking and ionotropic cross-linking. (Navaf et al., 2023)
- Inkjet printing: It uses pneumatic membrane nozzles to dispense tiny droplets of food material, forming layered structures. Suitable for low-viscosity materials, it is often used for confectionery decorations and graphical applications on food surfaces . (Navaf et al., 2023)
- Binder jetting: It spreads powdered materials and sprays a binding agent, while selective sintering fuses powder using a laser or hot air to form solid structures. These methods are efficient for creating intricate food designs without further treatment (Navaf et al. ,2023).
Limitations of 4D Food Printing
4D food printing faces multiple challenges, such as the limited accessibility of suitable food-grade materials and the complexity of managing the response of printed foods to stimuli such as pH and temperature. The research and development of improved printers and software continue to face ongoing technical challenges. Moving from research to commercial manufacturing is a difficult and expensive process. The amount of acceptance by consumers is unpredictable, and there are difficulties in the form of regulatory requirements that need to be overcome. Ensuring uniform quality, flavour, and nutritional content in printed foods is a difficult task. In addition, the field of technology is presently in its early phase, with limited availability of research data to comprehensively comprehend and address these concerns (Teng et.al 2021).
Future perspectives
Future perspective for 4D food printing appears to be positive, as there is potential for significant progress in printer design, its components and software development exclusively for food-related purposes. Improved material compositions will optimize the range of printable food products, with particular focus on enhancing nutritional profiles, flavors, and textures. Combining intelligent control systems enables the ability to make real-time adjustments while printing, resulting in increased quality and uniformity. The research should focus on developing innovative stimuli-responsive materials capable of achieving complex changes. In addition, expanding the technology for commercial production has the potential to revolutionize food customization, sustainability, and personalization. This might provide new solutions for addressing dietary requirements and overcoming issues in food supply, (Joshi et al., 2020).
Author’s Bio
Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad 500100, Telangana, India.
*Corresponding author: Dr A.Surendra Babu : Mobile: +91 9994719932;
Email: [email protected]
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