3D-printed bar snacks
If you’ve ever looked at Star Trek’s replicator dishing up dinner on the Enterprise and thought “I wouldn’t mind one of those”, you’re not alone. 3D printing companies are increasingly turning their attentions to retooling their machines to turn out beautifully crafted foodstuffs on demand.
3D-printed food uses pretty much the same process as printing other materials: a substance is extruded through a printer and built up in a series of fine layers, allowing a 3D design to be gradually created. As well as paper and plastic, 3D printers can now create shapes out of anything from chocolate to biscuits, pizza to pancake batter.
Chefs were among the early adopters of the tech, using the machines to create eye-catching and intricate dishes: one company, Food Ink, toured cities across the world with a pop-up restaurant where everything, including all the food, utensils and furniture were made by 3D printing.
3D printers are also taking off in restaurants looking for new ways to customise their food. One Japanese restaurant is reportedly planning to create 3D-printed sushi customised to individuals’ health needs. The firm behind the idea, Open Meals, has experimented with meals created in one country, uploaded to the internet, and printed out elsewhere, potentially allowing people to experience meals from restaurants across the globe without hopping on a plane (remember those?).
And for anyone who has watched Seaspiracy and fancy their sushi a little more plant-based, there’s a 3D printer for that too. Companies such as Revo Foods are looking to use 3D printers to make sushi from plant proteins that resemble the look, texture and taste of fish.