3D Printing Technology Usage and Application in Food Industry

A Special Issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158) belonging to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 223

Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: biological macromolecules; 3D/4D printing of personalized and precise nutritional foods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

3D food printing technology, as an emerging digital additive manufacturing method, is gradually transforming the traditional food processing industry. Based on digital models, this technology uses methods such as extrusion, selective laser sintering, inkjet printing and adhesive spraying to layer food raw materials. Its core objective is to achieve precise food processing and personalized customization, allowing for the precise control of product shape, texture, nutritional content and flavor according to the nutritional needs and physiological conditions of different groups (such as common consumers, patients with swallowing disorders, diabetics, the elderly, etc.). Additionally, this technology can utilize food by-products and reduce raw material waste, providing a new path for addressing global food security challenges and promoting sustainable production. Although it still faces challenges such as limited printing materials, high costs and food safety issues, 3D food printing has already demonstrated broad application prospects in special diets, health food, functional food and even space food.

Dr. Hongxia Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • 3D food printing
  • food materials
  • rheology
  • special diets
  • functional food

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 11439 KB  
Article
Multifunctional Effects of Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) Heart Powder on the Printability, Structural Properties, Probiotic Viability, and Gastrointestinal Digestion of Soy Protein-Based 3D-Printed Foods
by Passakorn Kingwascharapong, Jaksuma Pongsetkul, Supatra Karnjanapratum, Pittaya Chaikham, Saroat Rawdkuen, Sani Jirasatid and Samart Sai-Ut
Foods 2026, 15(18), 3336; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15183336 - 20 Sep 2026
Viewed by 119
Abstract
Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) heart is a sustainable, fiber- and polysaccharide-rich ingredient with potential for plant-based food structuring. This study investigated peach palm heart powder (PPHP) as a functional co-ingredient in soy protein isolate (SPI)-based inks for extrusion-based 3D food printing, [...] Read more.
Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) heart is a sustainable, fiber- and polysaccharide-rich ingredient with potential for plant-based food structuring. This study investigated peach palm heart powder (PPHP) as a functional co-ingredient in soy protein isolate (SPI)-based inks for extrusion-based 3D food printing, focusing on rheology, printability, microstructure, molecular interactions, texture, and in vitro digestibility. Increasing PPHP concentration enhanced apparent and complex viscosity, storage modulus (G′), deformation resistance, and structural recovery while maintaining strong shear-thinning behavior, improving printing performance; PPHP8 showed the lowest dimensional deviation (0.25%) and highest shape fidelity (100.25%). PPHP was progressively incorporated into the SPI matrix, forming a denser protein–polysaccharide network primarily through non-covalent interactions, as indicated by microstructural and SDS–PAGE analyses. PPHP reduced hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience but maintained springiness, enabling texture modulation, and FTIR/PCA revealed a shift from α-helical toward β-sheet-rich protein conformations, consistent with enhanced hydrogen bonding. Protein hydrolysis during simulated digestion and B. longum subsp. longum viability were not significantly compromised by PPHP incorporation. These findings demonstrate that PPHP can be strategically incorporated to tailor the rheological and textural properties of SPI-based inks for 3D printing without compromising nutritional functionality, supporting its potential as a sustainable structuring ingredient for next-generation plant-based printed foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing Technology Usage and Application in Food Industry)
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