Researchers from the Laboratory of Food Process Engineering at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, in collaboration with FrieslandCampina, are researching and developing methods for 3D printing protein-rich foods using sodium caseinate, a high-quality protein found in mammalian milk.
3D food printing is a particularly interesting and important area within the 3D printing industry as a whole. It is interesting because the technology behind 3D food printing allows for unique flavor combinations and enhanced food presentations that were previously impossible to achieve in even the most advanced culinary institutions. At the same time, the science of 3D food printing could be an important key in addressing pressing issues such as sustainability, food waste, and malnutrition across the world.
Wageningen’s research into 3D printing protein-rich foods falls into the second category. The research, part of a collaboration between Wageningen University and FrieslandCampina, the world’s largest dairy cooperative, aims to develop FDM 3D printed protein-rich foods that are both tasty and nutritious, delivering essential, high-quality protein nutrients while eliminating food waste.