We're Seeing It Everywhere: 3D-Printed Food

In this brave new food world, technology is advancing at warp speed, and it’s changing how we think about food preparation in a big way. Three-dimensionally printed pizza and candy may seem like science fiction, but they’re real—and part of a broader trend.

We’re seeing 3D-printed edibles everywhere, and we have a feeling that there will be more to add to this list soon enough.

1. Candy

Photo credit: The Sugar Lab

We told you about these flavored-sugar candies from The Sugar Lab when they first came out, and we still think they’re rad. Get a load of those neon colors!

2. Pizza

Photo credit: Facebook/natural.machines.foodini

Here’s that dubious-looking pizza we were talking about, which is made by the company Natural Machines. It looks kind of wonky, right? NASA recently commissioned contractor Systems & Materials Research to create it’s own 3D pizza printer, too.

3. Pasta

Photo credit: Facebook/natural.machines.foodini

Natural Machines also makes these totally normal-looking noodles. We’d try ‘em. In what appears to be a bid for the whole Italian culinary tradition, they make ravioli, too.

3. Scallop Nuggets

Photo credit: Facebook/Fab@Home

Scallop nuggets? This little space shuttle–shaped number—the product of a collaboration between Cornell University’s Fab@Home project and the French Culinary Institute—is unlike any other scallop product we’ve seen, but sure.

4. Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate

Photo credit: Moving Brands

Chocolate has been a popular medium for 3D printing for a while; the creative company Moving Brands created these back in 2011, and claims they are the ”world’s highest resolution 3D-printed chocolates.”

Photo credit: Choc Edge

U.K.-based company Choc Edge sells its own 3D chocolate printing machine for the bargain price of about $4,800 (£2,888). Maybe a large-scale bakery could rationalize such an expense? It can make detailed patterns like the one above. Nifty.

Photo credit: FabCafe

Tokyo eatery FabCafe sold these freaky confections for Valentine’s Day last year. Customers’ faces were scanned and converted into 3D chocolate truffles. Creepy much?

5. Gummies

Photo credit: FabCafe

FabCafe also had a similar promotion with gummies. Who wouldn’t want to eat themselves in gummy form? (Um, we wouldn’t.)

6. Fried Masa

Photo credit: Cookingissues.com

This looks like ramen, but it’s actually a deep-fried “flower” made from masa, a corn-based dough usually used in things like corn tortillas. It was whipped up by the International Culinary Center and was apparently delicious.

There’s an upside to 3D-printed food: it doesn’t require as much human labor as conventional food preparation. But there’s also a downside: it doesn’t require human labor. A 3D printer definitely can’t make something with love.

Unless it’s a RoboMom2000. Then, maybe.