New dimensions in dining: A review of the gastronomic evolution of 3D printed foods from 2013 to 2024 and beyond

Abstract

The development of 3D food printing is evolving, particularly in high-end restaurants, since 2013 when the first complex 3D printed chocolate concept for gastronomy was developed. In 2014, several 3D food printers were launched specifically to suit requirements from the culinary sector. These technology companies often partnered with renowned chefs who developed recipes, showcased the printers and served their food products in their restaurants. Chefs often worked in teams with e.g. food designers, technologists, engineers, and nutritionists to create dishes for events and for their own restaurant customers. From Michelin starred restaurants, pop-up events to pizzerias, 3D food printers were starting to make an appearance from 2015. Then with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, the type of 3D printed foods that chefs started to develop and serve would take a new direction. By 2017 3D printed foods which were suitable for specific diets, were emerging, such as those for people with dysphagia, allergies or intolerances. While some chefs, bakers and pâtissiers focused on designing foods to meet nutritional requirements, others were involved in the reduction of food waste in restaurants, or recipe development and design of sustainable protein-based foods. Other culinarians undertook to design novel and innovative foods for customers to enjoy as a dining experience. The gastronomic evolution of 3D printed food (3DPF) from 2013 to the present day is reviewed and developments which are likely to influence the culinary sector in the coming years are explored.