3D Printing of Food: Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Perspectives 3D printing is one of the technological advancements of the modern context where globalization is playing a critical role in designing the way people lead their day to day lives. 3D printing works in amazing ways and enables the efficiency of operations in various fields, such as engineering, medicine, and the food industry. 1Although 3D printing is a debatable issue with several advantages and disadvantages, it has feasible future perspectives that can enhance the way things get done in the future. This task explores the history of the 3D printer, its relation to food consumption, advantages and disadvantages of its use in the food industry, as well as the future perspectives. The future perspectives domain will comprise of the challenges involved in the utilization of the food printer and recommendations for improvement. History of the 3D Printer Charles W. Hull invented the first 3D printer in the 1980s. In 1986, he established the 3D Systems; 1an organization that currently offers 3D printers that utilize an assortment of innovations (Hoffman, para. 11). From a technological perspective, 3D printing is not the actual printing of documents or photographs that uses pressure as defined in the literal meaning but involves creation of 3D objects from scratch. Unlike the traditional creation of objects that mainly involves subtraction through cutting or drilling, 3D printing is an additive process that entails arrangement of materials in layers and utilization of various technologies, such as “fused deposition modeling (FDM)” (Hoffman, para.5) to come up with a complete three-dimensional object. 3D Food Printing Food printing emerges as one of the most prominent advances of 3D printing. It involves the automated preparation of a meal in an additive manner where food printing is merged with the art of cooking with an allowance to customize the cooking style as well as the color, flavor, and texture of the food to meet the needs and preferences of the consumer. The use of fresh ingredients boosts the deliciousness of the food (Houser). The amount of printing material and the nutritional content can be controlled to ensure alignment with one’s requirements in terms of nutritional content, flavor, or any other specifications (Sun, et al.). 3D food printing 1works much like a normal 3D printer as material is expelled through a print valve onto a surface. If it does not expand beyond the printer’s spatial limitations, a dish can be devised and fitted in like a fiddle but knowledge of the length is critical. The food, however, does not come out as a roll like is the case with the traditional printing but is a bit viscous, a factor that necessitates the use of a syringe-like container for expulsion of the ready food (Houser). Any kind of food, whether salty, sweet, or spicy can be printed. The ingredients, however, must be purified. Vegetables, fruits, chocolate, dough, candy or batter can also be printed. In comparison to food cooked in the normal traditional manner, the only characteristic that distinguishes printed food is texture (Houser). Some of the examples of 3D food printers include Cocojet for chocolate; Chefjet for printing toppings for cakes and cocktail garnishes; Food Form 3D designed specifically for professional food printing; Pancakebot for consumer food; and Bocusini, among others (Houser). Advantages of 3D Food Printing 3D food printing demands the freshness of ingredients, a factor that ensures the sustenance of the nutritional value while at the same time boosting the deliciousness. Wiggers states that 3D printing can be used to make unappetizing food delicious and thus boost individual’s appetite. He offers the example of insects that are full of proteins and states that insects may appear unappetizing from the outlook but once printed, no one would want to miss a bite of the outcome. The things that the 3D food printer is capable of cannot be in the capacity of any professional gourmet or chef. Making of cake toppers and shaping food to various designs is a new artistry that will change the culinary world in tremendous way as no pastry professional can do such things in a manner as efficient as that of a 3D food printer (Wiggers). With 3D printing, the world can envision food security in a different light. While some sources of food, such as algae, could not be considered in the past as edible, such food could be printed to make a delicacy that everyone would yearn for. The 3D food printers are vested with a promise of nutritional perfection and sustainability of the same in the long run (Wiggers). Additionally, control of the nutritional content in the preparation of a meal ensures that one gets only what he or she wants in terms of nutritional value. This is particularly important for the chronically ill individuals whose doctors prescribe a specific amount of the various dietary constituents, such as carbohydrates or proteins (Wiggers). Addition of chemicals in food preparation can also be controlled successfully and thus ensure that the body gets only little of such additives. While some chemicals are geared toward making a meal delicious, the freshness of the ingredients demanded in 3D food printing guarantees a delicacy and, therefore, reduces the necessity for the addition of excess chemicals or spices (Wiggers). The use of cartridges could also go a long way in minimizing food wastage, a factor that is critical in the sustainability of food security (Wiggers). Reliability is another benefit offered by the 3D food printing. Food prepared using the various kinds of printers is viscous and thus can be eaten by anyone, including small children and the elderly persons. This is already ongoing in Germany where some nursing homes are using 3D food printers and offering “SmoothFoods” (Wiggers, para.7) to the elderly inhabitants who have chewing difficulties. It is also possible to tailor the various needs of the consumer in such a way that one gets exactly his or her nutritional preferences and flavor. The availability of specific printers to align with the preparation of specific meals makes 3D food printing even more reliable. For instance, there is a printer for pancakes, another one for the preparation of cocktail garnish, and another one for cake toppers, among others (Houser). The shelf-life of 3D printed food is another advantage as food can be made to last as long as 30 years (Wiggers). With such a shelf-life, further exploration in space is now possible, an endeavor that was hindered by lack of good food preservation and a requirement for large space for the food preservation resources, such as refrigerators (NASA). As NASA contemplates further exploration deep in space, feeding the crew is a major concern, particularly in long missions. The idea of 3D food printing is under consideration where Systems and Materials Research Consultancy Firm in Texas is being involved in testing the viability of such technologies in ensuring food security for the astronauts (NASA). NASA’s determination in reducing the time used in food preparation in space is one of the major factors necessitating research on 3D food printers. This agency seeks a food system that is acceptable, safe, and capable of providing nutritional steadiness and variety. The systems used by astronauts in their current missions cannot be relied on to accomplish a five-year shelf life of food and, therefore, long missions can never be part of any plan. Those engaged in such missions rely on personalized prepackaged food whose processing degrades the nutritional value (NASA). The agency speculates that 3D food printing will boost the capacity to explore deep in space and create the confidence needed in engaging in new exploration opportunities that could emerge. 2Disadvantages of 3D Food Printing The major disadvantages of 3D food printing lie in the cost, speed, and limitation of the kind of food that can be prepared. 3D food printers are expensive and, therefore, a preserve for the rich. As such, one is highly unlikely to find 3D food printed meals in small cities. Large and prominent cities enjoy the advantage of senior guests’ visit and this may necessitate risk-taking with the expensive technological advancement (Hoffman). Speed is something that most consumers seek in the food industry, particularly in situations where one is in a hurry to attend to other duties or occasions. With 3D food printing, instant service is difficult as one cannot order a meal and have it prepared within a period of one’s desire. The specialty associated with the preparation of meals necessitates consumers’ patience. As such, the best way through which one can enjoy the working of a 3D printer is by possessing one in order to create ample time for its utilization in the preparation of a meal of one’s desire. The limitation of food that can be printed is also a challenge as some foods, such as meat, can only be printed with future advancement of the current 3D food printing technologies (Wiggers). The Future Prospective of 3D Food Printing In considering the future prospective of 3D food printing and the milestones likely to be reached, the challenges involved in the utilization of 3D food printers are worth consideration. It is from the challenges that recommendations on the way forward can be drawn. Challenges of 3D Food Printing Speed is a major challenge in the utilization of 3D printer. Unlike the Carbon 3D invented in recent times and which can fabricate several objects in a few minutes, the 3D food printer requires quite some time before food is ready for storage or consumption (Wiggers). Despite an emphasis of the safety of food prepared through 3D food printing technologies, the Food Safety Agency (FSA) of the United Kingdom reports that 3D food printers pose major threats by inclusion of some components in human diet, such as insects (Foster). Again, the fact that people want to associate with foods that are familiar to them is a major challenge. For instance, a recent research found out that only 34% of the respondents would wish to taste 3D printed meat (Wiggers). Regulatory concerns also pose a major challenge to 3D printed food, particularly in the consideration of recommended shelf-life of manufactured food. Again, 3D food printers use a variety of ingredients and keeping these as a mixture may pose a challenge in determining their expiration (Porter et al.). Recommendations With the continuity in technological advancement in the global era, it is advisable for those involved in devising 3D printers to come up with a strategy that will speed up the operation of these devices. Secondly, the public should be informed about the risks of eating some food components, such as insects, while at the same time creating an awareness of the measures taken to curb these risks. Third, those using the 3D printing technologies should be aware of the regulatory concerns that align with the utilization of such technologies and the food manufactured through them in order to comply. Conclusion 3D printing technologies emerge as powerful advancements in the globalization era. The utilization of these technologies in the food industry is particularly amazing. The advantages associated with it, including softened food that can readily be chewed by the elderly, children, and other vulnerable individuals, are quite encouraging. The ability of these technologies to make a delicacy out of unpalatable ingredients, such as insects and algae, is another milestone. While the high cost, low speed and limitations of the food that can be printed come up as disadvantages, the advantages provide a reason to move forward with the utilization of these technologies. While there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as the regulatory concerns and food safety, there are ways through which to obtain a break-through in the long run. Eventually, technological inventions come with challenges that enable future advancements and efficiency.