- Scientists from SUTD try to solve the food supply problem with 3D printing.
- They decided to combine the insects, algae, etc., with more commonly-eaten vegetables.
- In addition to commonly eaten vegetables, nutrients, and color, the carrot powder helped provide mechanical strength to the formulated inks.
As the world’s population increases day by day, the need and demand for food also increase. Because of the greenhouse gas emissions, increased water, and other factors, food sources could be a huge problem for some. In fact, some products such as insects and algae have already been consumed in some countries in Asia, South America, and Africa. Therefore, scientists have been working to solve this problem for humanity.
As sciencedirect.com reports, a team of researchers at Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) has been looking for ways to deal with future food supply problems and decided to just print some. Rather than eating crickets or larvae by themselves, researchers decided to combine them with more commonly-eaten vegetables like carrots to change the flavor.
“The appearance and taste of such alternative proteins can be disconcerting for many. This is where the versatility of 3D food printing rises to the challenge as it can transform how food is presented and overcome the inertia of consumer inhibitions,” says Chua Chee Kai, Study Co-Author and Professor at Singapore University of Technology and Design. (Read more)
