With future printing technologies, such as “Foodini,” people might be able to print out their meals for the day.
Photo by: Whitten Bumbalough, Photographer

By: Adrian De Guzman, Reporter

With new forms of technology popping up every day, it’s no wonder that someone has thought of creating a 3D food printer already. There are many different varieties of 3D food printers, but currently, none of them are available to the general public. Once this product does hit the market, it is sure to revolutionize the cooking industry. Many different companies are producing these 3D printers, but the most prominent one at the moment is called Foodini, estimated to sell at around $1,000.

Sophomore Vince Birrey says, “It’s a cool new technology that will allow anyone to cook.”

3D food printers work much like regular 3D printers do, except with food items. Regular 3D printers take a material, and heat it up so it becomes a liquid. Then, it squeezes the liquid material into the desired shape. 3D printers work on the same concept, except that it uses different food items to make the desired shape. With this technology, the 3D printer can easily make shapes out of pasta, cookie dough, cake, and even chocolate. Any user could create any design imaginable.

Sophomore Anastasia Papaioanou says, “As long as [the 3D food printer] has the same quality as [regular food], I don’t think it will have any adverse effects.”

3D food printers could also help out around the house. If a food printing company created a way to dispense food remotely into the printer, one could dispense the food into the printer on their way home from work, and have their food be hot and ready for them as soon as they reach their home. These unique shapes made from the printer could also be used for creative finger foods for parties or get-togethers.

However, there are some drawbacks to this new technology. Since the printer creates designs through a nozzle, the printer can’t use whole fruits or vegetables unless they are blended or ground into something able to flow easily. Foods such as frosting and cheese are easier to create than fruits and vegetables through the 3D printer, since it is obviously impossible to squeeze an entire fruit through the tiny opening the 3D printer uses to create food.

Freshman Kennedy Richardson says, “Younger people growing up with [the 3D food printer] wouldn’t learn how to cook.”

3D food printers could also affect the food industry, with restaurants using 3D food printers to make their products fancier and more appealing.

This revolutionary new invention could change kitchens worldwide. With the introduction of the new 3D food printers the long process of preparing food is taken away, making homemade foods a much more viable options for kitchens everywhere.