Potential and challenges of edible insects in

3D food printing

Domenico Azzollini & Vincenzo Fogliano

Food Quality and Design Group, WUR

FQD focus: to improve Food Quality in production process

from Society-Consumer-Body perspectives

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production

consumptiondigestion

Food Quality Design

FQD focus: How to improve Food Quality in production

process from Society-Consumer-Body perspectives

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production

consumptiondigestion

Food Quality Design

Why eating insects?

Global consumption

SustainabilityFood securitySpecies

abundance

Consumer perception in Western countries

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Considered as disgusting

Perceived as rotten food

Inappropriate if it tastes different

than familiar

Complete novelty, with no sensory

expectation

Value-driven insect 3D printing design

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consumer perception

nutritionalvalue

Nutritional composition of Yellow mealworm

50% proteins 20% lipids

5% fibers15% carbohydrates10% other

components

The current use of Y. mealworms in 3D printing

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fresh insect drying milling dry powder mixing printing

3D printing with Y. Mealworms (FDM)

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• Printing on food with icing sugar

• FDM_Pneumatic

• No support needed

• Susana Soares

• Printing with potato puree

• FDM_Piston

• Solid geometry

• Carolin Schulze

• Printing with wheat flour

• FDM_Pneum/Extr

• From 12 to 20% protein

• University of Foggia

Yellow mealworms in 3D printing

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Improve the nutritional value of the food carrier

More appealing than the whole insect

Provide little or no technological functionality

Value-driven insect 3D printing design

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consumer perception

nutritionalvalue

functionaluse

Functional fractionation approach

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fresh insect dry

powdersoluble protein

insoluble protein

(muscle protein)

lipid fibre

water pH ionicstrenght

centrif. drying

Challenges

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Improve the efficiency of functional fractionation

Characterise functional properties

of insect fractions

Lipids

Soluble proteins

Insoluble proteins

Gel of solubleproteins

Potential use of insect fractions in 3DP

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Multilayer food system

New shape foods supported by

protein crosslinking

meat from 3D Food Printing conference in

Melbourne

muscle

protein

soluble

protein

water

sugar

lipid

starch

Jelly by state transition of

gelling proteins

3D Food Printing to the NEXT LEVEL

Achieving self-sufficiencyby printing living cells

Designing microstructures to control digestibility

and texture

*Mosca, Rocha, Sala, van de Velde, Stieger, 2012

Controlling layer composition of nutrients

to boost sensory perception *

3D Printing of Foods: A hype or a new era for food fabrication?

Dr. ir. M.A.I. Schutyser, Associate Professor

Laboratory of Food Process Engineering, WUR

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Multicomponent printing with NaCaseinate

Oil phase

Continuous protein phase

Functional-fractionation of Yellow pea flour

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120 µm

Pea Flour

120 µm

Protein-rich fraction

120 µm

Starch-rich fraction

Schutyser & van der Goot, 2011 Trends in Food Science & Technology

Legumes, cereals

Milling & Air classification

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Cookie printing - pea ingredient fractions

Pea flour

(24% protein)

Fine fraction

(55% protein)

Coarse fraction

(15% protein)

After Microwave Treatment

Different texture

PrintingFormulation

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Printing multi-ingredient pea products

Shell: high protein

Filling: high starch

Shell: high starch

Filling: high protein

Take-home message

• Need to upgrade 3D food printing for added

values (sensory, personalised nutrition, etc.)

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• 3D printing of insects can help to increase

acceptability and nutritional value, but

fractionation is a key element for functional use

• 3D printing and fractionation enables to obtain foods with different characteristics, but starting from the same material