Abstract
Food 3D printing allows for the production of personalised foods in terms of shape and nutrition. In this study, we examined whether protein-, starch- and fibre-rich fractions extracted from faba beans can be combined to produce fibre- and protein-rich printable food inks for extrusion-based 3D printing. Small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements were used to characterise the inks while compression tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterise the freeze-dried samples. We found that rheological parameters such as storage modulus, loss tangent and yield stress were related to ink printability and shape stability. Investigations on the effect of ink composition, infill pattern (honeycomb/grid) and direction of compression on textural and microstructural properties of freeze-dried 3D-printed objects revealed no clear effect of infill pattern, but a strong effect of direction of compression. Microstructure heterogeneity seemed to be correlated with the textural properties of the printed objects.
Highlights
Starch- and Fibre-Rich Foods.There are multiple advantages and possible applications of food 3D printing
The composition of the extracted fractions and original flour was assumed to be similar to that reported in that study [16]
Starch displayed the highest yield in terms of both quantity and proportion obtained, meaning that starch was the fraction with the smallest losses during extraction (Table 2)
Summary
There are multiple advantages and possible applications of food 3D printing. Beyond the possibility of creating complex structures, the technique can be used to supply personalised nutrition and food formulations for consumers with different preferences and needs [1]. It can be used to enhance children’s curiosity towards vegetable-based foods, supply more appealing foods for the elderly and people with swallowing difficulties and produce delivery systems for the controllable release of nutrients and medication [2]. One example of a nutritious and healthy 3D-printed food that has been studied is fibreand/or protein-rich snacks [3]. The 3D printing technique could be used to create novel textures, such as plant-based steaks with textural properties resembling those of meat [4]
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