3D printing came with a bang and has taken on the market quite well, wouldn’t you agree? We have covered a number of articles pertaining to 3D printing and how it has applications in so many fields; from NASA to Medical sciences and from DIY projects to companies opting for 3D printed items. However, today’s post brings a whole of fruity-ness to the 3D printing.
Dovetailed is a UK based company that has come up with a food 3D printer, which is capable of printing fruits or combination of fruits as per your request and that too within seconds. The company is shy of giving out the details as to how the printer works, however, our best guess is that it relies on ‘spherification’ – a technique that involves molecular gastronomy. Let’s see what this spehrification is and how it works; the process starts with fruit juice being mixed with sodium alginate (a thickening agent) and the mixture then added to a calcium salt filled bowl; this results in spheres with skins that are capable of holding the ‘juiciness’ inside. The 3D printer makes use of such spheres and print them out according to the information (request) provided by user.
The company claims that it takes only a few seconds for the printer to do its magic. The company’s founder; Valva Kalnikaite said; ‘Our 3D printer will open up new possibilities not only to professional chefs but also to our home kitchens — allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences.’
Now the question is, Will the society accept these 3D printed fruits?