Would You Try These 3D Printed Snacks Made From Food Waste?

According to a report conducted by Wohlers, the 3D printing industry has grown by 21% in the last year and is now worth $7.3 billion. This technology is being used by construction companies to print concrete materials, medical professionals to make artificial limbs, and even the fashion industry to design incredible gowns, shoes, and wearable art. But it’s also allowing us to eat more adventurously. It probably won’t be too long now before you’re able to snack on 3D-printed food items instead of making the trek to the store.

Today, there are 28 million small businesses operating in the U.S., and many entrepreneurs are competing to be on the cutting edge of the 3D printing movement. Recent developments have led to 3D-printed pastries, pasta, and even plates and other dishware. There’s also 3D-printed vegan steak, which has the potential to sustainably feed people in need all around the world. Developers have even created a 3D printer that actually cooks the food for you, acting as a miniature personal non-human chef.

What once seemed like a far-fetched sci-fi concept is now becoming undeniably mainstream. 3D printed food was featured on a recent episode of MasterChef Junior, allowing aspiring young chefs to get a taste for the technology. And now, two Dutch students are utilizing 3D printing to turn food waste into gorgeous-looking snacks.

Although an estimated 65% of American consumers purchased specialty food in 2017, the reality is that we end up wasting an incredible amount of the food items we buy. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption gets either lost or wasted. Fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be wasted more than any kind of food, which is bad news for the nation’s struggling farmers and a planet that’s in peril. So Elzelinde Van Doleweerd and Vita Broeken, two 20-something graduates from the Netherlands, decided to do something about it.

In their country, the number one wasted food item is bread. Elzelinde made a printable paste by mixing together old bread with spices and herbs, which she then injected into a 3D printer using a syringe. After the product was printed, she baked and dehydrated it to increase its shelf life and give it some crunch. When her visually appealing and sustainable creations were presented at Dutch Design Week last fall, the acclaim they received inspired Elzelinde to partner with her friend Vita to form Upprinting Food — a play on the concepts of upcycling and 3D printing. Now, the pair can create new recipes (including ones that include fruits and veggies) in an effort to help restaurants reduce their waste. As a result of their efforts, the women were awarded the Next Nature Network ECO Coin Award for 2018 to honor their status as “outstanding ecological heroes.”

While scaling their endeavor may prove a challenge, it’s clear that others around the world are taking on similar efforts and truly embracing the idea of 3D printed food as a real possibility. Would you eat a 3D printed snack made from food waste in your kitchen? It might take some convincing, but if it’s safe and visually stunning, you may want to take a bite.