Assessment of a novel window of dimensional stability for screening food inks for 3D printing

The applicability of a window of dimensional stability has been assessed for screening food inks for 3D food printing based on rheological measurements of their rigidities. The window provides good guidance on the likely dimensional stability of 3D-printed food items. Thus, the screening method shows promise for accelerating the development of 3D-printing food inks by narrowing the field of potential candidates before the more arduous printing tests begin. No connection could be established between the rheological properties extracted from oscillatory amplitude sweeps and filament quality of the food inks. Filaments of molten food ink require time to harden sufficiently on being extruded to hold their form and support layers printed above them. This hardening time can vary significantly between food inks.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the dimensional stability window of food inks for 3D food printing based on rheological measurements of their rigidities, providing guidance on likely stability of 3D-printed food items. The screening method shows promise for accelerating the development of 3D-printing food inks by narrowing down potential candidates before printing tests begin. No correlation was found between rheological properties and filament quality of the food inks, as hardening times for molten ink filaments varied significantly.