3D-printed food doesn’t sound appetizing

I was reading some industry predictions this morning and it seems like everyone on the planet is excited about 3D printing. And with good reason.

It should be clear by now, to even the most die-hard skeptics, that 3D printing is taking the manufacturing industry in directions that no one thought possible a decade ago. From mission-critical aircraft components to patient-specific orthopedic implants to conformally cooled plastic injection molds, there’s little that can’t be additively manufactured and, as a result, be made lighter, stronger, and/or less expensively.

One of these predictions was a little hard to swallow, however. Literally.

According to a 2018 article in Forbes magazine, the market for 3D-printed food will reach $525 million by 2023. Now, I love fast food as much as the next person, but this is simply too much. Think about it: Printed pancakes. Quick-turn quesadillas. Rapid rigatoni. Oreos on-demand. Bespoke bratwursts. Where will it all end?

It turns out that we’ve already passed the point of no return. A company in the U.K. has begun marketing the Choc Creator V2.0 Plus to intrepid chocolatiers. Pasta giant Barilla has launched a pasta3D printing service (check it out, Emeril). NASA spinoff BeeHex intends to make hand-piped pastries a thing of the past. And then there’s the Foodini, able to print burgers, brownies, pumpkin gnocchi—even dinosaur-shaped spinach quiche for your fussy eaters.

Call me skeptical. But what about food safety? It was hard enough getting the Cuisinart clean after this morning’s fruit smoothie. Can you imagine trying to get all those tubes and nozzles and pumps sanitary enough to keep salmonella and botulism from ravaging the entire household? Then there’s the thought of puréed … everything. To tuck into an additively manufactured meal would be like eating baby food, writ large. The satisfying texture of a T-bone steak? The crunch of a perfectly cooked carrot? Forget it.

Still, think about the possibilities. You could print custom cupcakes for the kids’ birthdays, or romantic, heart-shaped pizzas for Date Night. Woohoo! This might just be a game-changer for the culinary arts.

Ironically, today is Amazon Prime Day, and I was thinking about ordering a new toaster oven. Breville has a nice little stainless steel unit with a convection-bake setting and something called “Element IQ” for under $200. It’s something I’ve always wanted, but I think I’ll hold off for now. I just heard that 3D Systems is about to release its ChefJet Pro.

Stay tuned—and save room for dessert.