The future of software-controlled cooking

Abstract

To date, analog methods of cooking such as by grills, cooktops, stoves and microwaves have remained the world’s predominant cooking modalities. With the continual evolution of digital technologies, however, laser cooking and 3D food printing may present nutritious, convenient and cost-effective cooking opportunities. Food printing is an application of additive manufacturing that utilizes user-generated models to construct 3D shapes from edible food inks and laser cooking uses high-energy targeted light for high-resolution tailored heating. Using software to combine and cook ingredients allows a chef to more easily control the nutrient content of a meal, which could lead to healthier and more customized meals. With more emphasis on food safety following COVID-19, food prepared with less human handling may lower the risk of foodborne illness and disease transmission. Digital cooking technologies allow an end consumer to take more control of the macro and micro nutrients that they consume on a per meal basis and due to the rapid growth and potential benefits of 3D technology advancements, a 3D printer may become a staple home and industrial cooking device.

3D/4D printed super reconstructed foods: Characteristics, research progress, and prospects

“…Blutinger et al combined laser cooking with 3D printing technology, and used software combination and cooking ingredients to achieve precise control of the nutritional content of a meal. This provides a reference for us to prepare healthier and more personalized super recombinant foods based on 3D/4D printing technology (Blutinger et al, 2023).…”

Pushing boundaries in 3D printing: Economic pressure filament extruder for producing polymeric and polymer-ceramic filaments for 3D printers

“…3D printing, introduced in 1987 [1] , is a rapid prototyping technology that allows you to obtain shapes with advanced geometries made of polymeric [1] , [2] , ceramic [3] , or metallic [4] materials. The technology has already found applications in the automotive [5] , food [6] , construction [7] , and even space industries [8] . 3D printing is also widely used in biomedical engineering for building medical tools, implants [9] , or even whole organs [10] .…”

Early Cure Analysis to Inform Direct Ink Writing of HTPB Polyurethane: Insights from Spectroscopy, Rheology, and Molecular Simulations

“…DIW is a highly versatile form of 3D printing since it can utilize many feedstocks, including cement , and food. , However, growth in using this method of AM is still limited compared to more common techniques, such as fused filament fabrication, due to the added complexity of a kinetically changing feedstock (e.g., thermosetting resin). Tying formulation-specific cure kinetics to processing conditions to final bulk response will drastically enhance DIW utility in many applications.…”