Providing soldiers with food right on the spot using modern 3D printing technologies is already the near future of the US Army. Military rations can be mixed from a variety of nutrients, the combinations of which will be selected in a special way, based on the health of the soldiers and the characteristics of the service. Currently, CFD is actively involved in developments in the field of three-dimensional printing - the Directorate of Combat Food Supply of the US Department of Defense. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is also involved in this project. It is reported that full-fledged development and research work is planned to begin in 2015-2016 fiscal years, and NASA is also showing interest in this area.
Currently, the available 3D printing technologies only allow the production of objects from chocolate and a number of other confectionery products. However, the situation is expected to change in the future, and a certain menu will be laid in the software of army food 3D printers, which will allow to print a wide variety of individual products and even ready-made meals in layers. This will make the food printed on the printer taste like real food. Experiments are underway to print small nutritional bars, but plans to expand the menu to include pasta and pizza are currently underway, according to Lauren Oleksik, who is the head of CFD's food technology division.
According to The Times, in the future, 3D food will not only be tasty, but also healthy. The nutrients from which the specialty print refills will be made will include all the required set of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, salts, minerals and antioxidants. Their combination in certain proportions will be selected based on the individual needs of the serviceman. For example, if a fighter lacks a single vitamin in his body, he will be able to make up for this shortage with specially ordered and prepared food.
All experts consider this factor to be very important when organizing food for soldiers in hot spots. Without exception, any nutritional component that is needed by the military here and now can be provided to him in pure form, without the use of any impurities, and also quickly enough. Compositionally balanced artificial food is expected to increase the efficiency of military personnel, as well as their endurance, mobility and even "quality of life" on the front lines.
At the same time, the ease of transportation of 3D printers will play a decisive role in the future. Such equipment, delivered to the location of army units or to the zone of active hostilities, will be able to very quickly resolve the economic issues of the supply of food. Currently, the US military is increasingly interested in 3D printing technology. Earlier, the media also reported that the military is interested in devices that would allow to quickly restore the muscles and skin of a person after injuries.
It is worth noting that food from a 3D printer can also be used for purely civilian purposes. It is necessary to understand that the population of the Earth is constantly growing. More than 7 billion people already live on our planet. At the same time, according to data for October 2013, 12% of the world's population (about 840 million people) went hungry. That is, people do not have enough food right now. What will happen when the world's population grows to 10 billion people by 2050, as predicted by UN experts? To solve possible problems, an engineer from the United States suggests synthesizing food we are used to using 3D printers from cheap and nutritious, but unappetizing components.
The designer Anyang Contractor, who works for Systems & Materials Research Corporation, has created a prototype device that is able to prepare completely edible food from a set of individual nutrient components. This project has already interested the American space agency NASA, which has allocated funding for these developments. The amount of the allocated grant was 125 thousand dollars. The interest of the space agency is understandable - such technologies can be indispensable for long-term space missions. It should be noted that 3D printing technology is currently experiencing a real boom. The possibilities of 3D printers for printing spare parts for military equipment - aircraft and tanks, parts for small arms are being studied.
Until recently, the conversation about devices for "printing" food could be safely attributed to science fiction, but one ambitious company from Texas with financial support from NASA promises to teach a 3D printer to "print" pizza. The device, which was created by specialists from Systems and Materials Research Corporation, is able to provide a balanced and tasty nutrition, which is created on the basis of several pastes and powders. To begin with, a three-dimensional printer mixes all the ingredients of the product in certain proportions, after which the resulting substance is applied in layers to a heated plate located at the bottom of the device.
You can already find videos online showing how a 3D printer produces chocolate. In this case, the product is not prepared from melted chocolate at all, but from a set of individual components - sugars, complex carbohydrates, proteins, etc. These components can be produced from anything, including very cheap, naturally occurring components. For example, what's the difference whether the protein molecule was obtained from beef or from caterpillar meat? If a person has to compete for food with 10 billion earthlings, then it will be easy to close your eyes to the not very appetizing origin of certain ingredients for a 3D printer, at least so the creator of the device thinks so.
The leading designer of the new printing device, Anjan Contratektor, believes that in the near future such 3D printers may appear in every kitchen, and instead of the usual food, special cartridges will be sold in stores. In this case, the contents of the cartridges can be made in such a way that it will be stored for 30 years without changes. And the components for the cartridges themselves are cheaper and easier to produce than to manufacture products naturally. According to Contractor, this method of food production will help to cope with the problem of hunger on the planet in the future. In turn, NASA sees 3D printing food as the future for astronautics. The huge terms and ease of storage of cartridges with components, as well as their low cost of production, make them one of the best options for long-term space missions.
Another feature of such food production is the possibility of individual adaptation of any dish to a specific person. It is known that any person, depending on age, gender, health status, type of activity, requires certain components in various proportions. With the help of food 3D printing technology, it will be much easier to make a recipe that will be maximally adapted to you and will be able to satisfy all the needs of your body.
