The Future is Here with Printed Food

Hey Star Trek fans – that food replicator you always thought was so cool on the show is no longer a thing of the future – its here now in the form of 3D food printers.

“3D printed food could transform cooking,” says Hod Lipson, professor of innovation at Columbia University and creator of the first 3D printer used for food. He and his team at the university’s Creative Machines Lab are not only printing the likes of dough, meat, vegetables, sweets and chicken – they’re also cooking it with lasers.

“The technology marries software and food,” Lipson says. “Both are big parts of our lives and neither are going to go away. I’d predict 3D food printers will be common in domestic kitchens in some form in five years’ time.”

If that sounds optimistic, consider this: a recent report by Zion Market Research predicted the value of the global 3D food printing market would triple to $1.65bn (£1.29bn) by 2030.

You can find more in-depth information about 3D food printers and how they work here.