Around a third of the food we produce around the world goes to waste, which is absolutely criminal considering the poverty blighting the planet. However, one tech-minded foodie is hoping to redeem humanity from its profligacy by creating eye-catching 3D printed concoctions from residual food.
Dutch designer Elzelinde van Doleweerd’s Upprinting Food project aims to trim back on food waste by taking unsold or commonly overabundant food like fruit, vegetables, bread and rice and using the latest tech to put a new spin on things.
By creating printable pastes from the foods, she’s able to form attractive shapes that are then baked, dehydrated and arranged to form attractive meals with a longer shelf life. Ripe bananas and knobbly carrots that aren’t pretty enough to be sold are prime candidates for the 3D Food Company’s advanced printer.
“I boil the vegetables and fruit peels, dry the bread or use the boiled rice,” she explained to Dezeen.com during a recent showcase in Beijing. “The ingredients are mashed, mixed together, ground and sieved. A smooth paste can be printed and baked afterwards.”
The dehydration technique is used “so no bacterial activity can take place,” she says. “This way the food is safe to eat and we can save it for a very long period.”
The result is a crispy food that resembles a cookie or a cracker. We’re not sure how it tastes, but it looks absolutely gorgeous.
She added: “Looking at the growing population, more food is needed in the future, but on the other hand, one third of the food produced is wasted nowadays. With the use of new technologies, I want to explore societal food challenges.”
Would you invest in a 3D printer if it could help you cut down on food waste? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
