malleable layers of polymer and genetically engineered light-sensi-tive cells. Harvard professor Kit Parker aims to develop 3D printed
hearts. On the other end of the human spectrum, parents-to-be can
order 3D printed heads of their fetuses to decorate the walls.
progress in fits, starts and lots of brain work
But what about your establishment? Is there 3D printed
food in your future? Adventurers in 3D food printing have been
working in two formats, Lipson says, either with powders or
with pastes and gels. “It’s not yet clear which is better,” he adds.
The world’s first 3D printing conference was held in April in
Venlo, the Netherlands, where six lucky souls savored a 3D printed
meal. And Dutch 3D printer company byFlow, located in Eindhoven,
the Netherlands, is hosting Food Ink, an international pop-up
restaurant designed to spread the word in places such as Barcelona,
Dubai, New York, Reykjavik, Rome, Taipei, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.
At Food Ink’s London pop-up, guests drank champagne from
test tubes and experienced a futuristic meal that included “fish
and chips” composed of toasted seaweed topped by a 3D printed,
technologically inspired design of a computer chip circuit made of
wasabi-flavored kimchi fish mayonnaise. Guests were offered 3D
printed steak tartare and used 3D printed plates and tableware at
tables decorated with 3D printed accoutrements.
Meanwhile, Liam MacLeod, additive manufacturing specialist
at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, is
using two early prototypes of the Chef Jet Pro from 3D Systems,
Rock Hill, South Carolina. “My role is to find the niche for 3D
food printing in the hospitality industry,” he says. “We’re still
not sure yet if there is one.
“We’re not trying to replace artisanal craft, but looking at
3D food printing as an enhancement to accentuate a dish.”
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