3D printed food raises questions on safety and regulations

News about 3D-printed food hit the online world this past week with the 2014 International CES launch of the ChefJet series of 3D printers from 3D Systems (3DS), which provides not just printers but also other hardware and services around 3D printing.

“Food is an incredible platform for creativity, experimentation, and celebration and we are thrilled to place these powerful 3D printers in bakers' and chefs’ kitchens,” said Liz von Hasseln, Creative Director Food Products, 3DS in a statement. “We invite leading pastry chefs, restaurateurs and event planners to join us in bringing 3D printing into the kitchen.” 

Source: 3D Systems

Rather than wrapping a flat image around a 3D object or building one up from scratch 'Playdoh-style' with edible ingredients as is often done with cake decoration today, 3D-printed objects are printed layer by layer, similar to building a Lego tower but out of very flat blocks. The method enables very intricate shapes to be created, as can be seen in the pictures above, and even link them. 

Called 'kitchen ready' and with suggested applications for 'confections and cake toppers', the first two printers in the series are the monochrome, countertop ChefJet 3D printer and the full-colour larger format ChefJet Pro 3D printer. 

The printers will ship together with software for the non-CAD* user and promise to incorporate edible prints into any professional kitchen, according to the company. Both will be available in the second half of this year, with the monochrome model to be priced at under US$5,000, and the colour model to be priced under US$10,000.

The possibilities are enormous. ChefJet printable materials come in a variety of recipes, including chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon. The number of questions, however, are also enormous. 

Will this work in humid climates? 
How long can a printed item last? 
Does it have to be refrigerated? 
How do you clean the printer to make sure it remains food-grade? 
Would frequent cleaning cycles drive the cost up? 
And, because it is food related but also technology related, which government department has jurisdiction over regulations over such products? 

Then there are the ones related to the challenges of 3D printing. How much does the 'ink' cost? Is it really easy to design a 3D-printed product if you are not well-versed in computer-aided design (CAD)?
 
Some of these questions may well be answered before the printers launch, but others may need much further discussion. To sign up for updates, please visit 3dsystems.com/ces.

*CAD, computer-aided design, is a way of creating 3D objects electronically for the purpose of creating them physically. In the past this would have been done by carving (subtracting) the object from a solid block of material. 3D printing creates the physical object in an additive way, building it up layer by layer instead.