AI-based additive manufacturing for future food: Potential applications, challenges and possible solutions

Abstract

The rapid development of food additive manufacturing technology provides options for production of innovative high quality personalized food products. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps collect, process, and analyze large amounts of data from the food additive manufacturing process and intelligently manage the printing process to ensure personalization, high quality, and safety of the printed food. This paper reviews and summarizes the potential applications of AI-based food additive manufacturing technologies in food as well as the anticipated challenges and potential solutions. AI can be of great help for pre-processing, processing and post-processing of additive manufacturing. It also guides the design of printing models, selection of smart materials, control of printing process, and possible 4D variations of printed food products. AI-based food additive manufacturing is expected to improve food production efficiency and quality, promote food personalization and nutritional balance, promote transformation of the food industry and provide consumers with healthier sustainable food choices. Industrial relevanceThis review recognizes that the combination of artificial intelligence and food additive manufacturing offers great potential for innovation and sustainable growth in the food industry. AI-based food additive manufacturing has potential applications in food design, print path planning, and food quality control to enable personalization, rapid production, and high-quality manufacturing. The analysis of big data can optimize the formulation of printed food products, intelligently design print paths, improve printing efficiency and precision, and monitor and provide feedback on quality and safety issues during the printing process to ensure food safety while meeting the standards required for food personalization. AI-based food additive manufacturing technology will bring opportunities and changes to the food manufacturing industry, and this integration can drive the digital transformation of the food industry and provide consumers with more diverse and nutritionally balanced food choices.