Making a research on the physical and structural features of 3D printed food, Cork College team examined 3D printed cheese.
One of the most amazing products of 3D printing is food. Even though it is adopted by many brands, it is still questionable bu many consumers and food specialists. Focusing on this matter, Ireland Cork University researchers made a research in 3D printed cheese.
First, the scientists melted down the processed cheese material so it could be used in a modified 3D printer. Using both fast and slow print speeds, the cheese was extruded into cooled cylinders and refrigerated.After a 24-hour refrigeration period, the research team took the printed cheese out to check the texture and chemical structure.
For starters, the printing processes made the cheese softer and darker in color compared to the melted and unprocessed versions. They discovered that the faster printing process resulted in a cheese color that had a blue tinge. On the contrary, the slow printing speed created cheese that resembled the yellow colour of untreated cheese.
Once printed, the cheese became much easier to remelt, which the scientists possibly attribute to weakened proteins. According to their research, the cheese samples became up to 49 percent less hard, and exhibited a higher degree of melting points. As the oils within the 3D printed cheese rose to the surface, it became less sticky as well. All in all, processing the cheese for 3D printing led to significant changes in both texture and structure.