https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.63.04.25.8946

Article in press

Recent Advances in 3D Food Printing: A Review with Focus on Personalized Nutrition and Functional Food Applications

Rasheeda Meembidi^1,2, Mohan Chitradurga Obaiah^1*, Remya Sasikala¹ and Bindu Jaganath¹

¹Fish Processing Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, CIFT Junction, Matsyapuri P. O., Kochi, 682029 Kerala, India

²Department of Food Science and Technology, FOST, KUFOS, Panangad Road, Madavana Junction, Kochi, 682506 Kerala, India

Copyright © 2024 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Article history:

Received: 11 November 2024

Accepted: 25 July 2025

Keywords:

food printing; extrusion; 3D designs; personalized nutrition; nutrient-rich products

The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

Summary:

3D printing technique provides immense opportunities to manufacture foods of individual choices with added benefits to address malnutrition. Malnutrition has been identified as a major public issue that hampers the growth of developing nations worldwide. Fortification with functional ingredients is a promising approach to combat this disaster. However, consumer acceptance of fortified foods remains low due to their bland taste and unfamiliar formats. This scenario has created the demand for customized, fortified products made with novel technologies like 3D printing. The latest research report findings on 3D printing for the last 15 years have been collected and reported in this review. A detailed review on various technological options available for 3D printing, recent research reports with emphasis on functional food, has been compiled in this work. 3D Food Printing has been proven from previous works, as a highly promising novel technology capable of providing personalized nutrition. The 3D food printers primarily rely upon extrusion technology to fabricate nutrient-rich food products in multiple 3D designs, catering to both the aesthetic and functional preferences of consumers. This technology is expected to revolutionize the functional food industry in the near future, owing to its manifold applications.