DIY gluten-free meals

1st March 2017

WASP

Enaie Azambuja

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Not only chocolate! We should be able to taste complete meals 3D printed in a very short time thanks to the use of additional technology machines. A large development of 3D printing in the food field has already been pictured, even first in the catering than in the houses construction; a similar family impact occured with microwave some time ago. WASP's research is actually dealing with this sector too.

On line with the philosophy of the company (working to solve most of human serious problems) WASP has decided to move its research towards a specific food sector: the celiac one. Everybody knows how difficult it is to integrate a gluten free kitchen inside a traditional kitchen. Wasp's idea to solve this problem is to introduce a little portable separate kitchen-corner, not contaminated by other gluten ingredients.

That's why the cooperation with chef Francesco Favorito started. Favorito is specialised in the trial of pastry-mixtures for people who suffer from food intolerances, and founder of Zeroinpiù, a flour and selected pastry-mixtures line.

The first public 3D printers of gluten free food were made at the end of January 2017 at Sigep in Rimini and met a very large audience interest. On purpose for the event, the chef Favorito had studied a gluten free pastry-mixture, and food was printed with a slightly modified DeltaWASP 20 40.

In detail, the screw- extruder used was an extruder heated till a temperature of 70-80 degrees so that the material while extruded is pre-cooked too. The cooking is accomplished then in a normal oven and the course is ready to be tasted.

A new 3D printed food performance occured on 25/02 in Bologna during the event Carnival in Opificio Golinelli, food and nourishment science. Mr. Francesco Bombardi, architect and designer, was taking part to this event. He is the founder of Fab Lab Reggio Emilia and project creator of OffiCucina, a moving sèace half laboratory, half kitchen, equipped with lasers and 3d printers-

The Sigep trials have allowed to learn important elements. For example heated butter helps fluidity and improves the exit from the nozzle. Many shapes have been tested in addition to the classical gnome, (Frollo) many of them very difficult or impossible to be hand-made.

One more important and advantageous aspect of 3D printing food is the so-called on demand manufacturing which allows more freedom in the portion size. It allows to extrude the food in specific calorific portions, to comply with any customised diet and to manage the doses without waste.

WASP's research and development go on. In specific the need to make the extruder compatible with the sanitary regulations. It will be also usefull to manage a more intuitive software for users. WASP is studing new solutions in the mechanical field too.