Microwave-Triggered 4D Automatic Color Change in 3D-Printed Food Materials Incorporating Natural Pigments

Autor: Yaolei Zhu, Zhenbin Liu, Xiaofan Zhang, Chaojun He, Xinxin Zhang
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Foods, Vol 12, Iss 10, p 2055 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2304-8158
DOI: 10.3390/foods12102055
Popis: The feasibility of using microwaves to quickly stimulate automatic color change in 3D-printed food containing curcumin or anthocyanins was studied. Firstly, with a dual-nozzle 3D printer, stacked structures included mashed potatoes (MPs, upper part, containing anthocyanins) and lemon juice–starch gel (LJSG, lower part) were 3D-printed and post-treated using a microwave. The results indicated that the viscosity and gel strength (indicated by the elastic modulus (G′) and complex modulus (G*)) of LJSG were improved with the increase in starch concentration, while water mobility was reduced. During microwave post-treatment, the color change speed was negatively correlated with the gel strength but positively correlated with the diffusion of H+ and anthocyanin concentration. Secondly, nested structures were 3D-printed using MPs containing curcumin emulsion and baking soda (NaHCO3). During microwave post-treatment, the curcumin emulsion structure was destroyed, and NaHCO3 was decomposed, along with an increase in alkalinity; thus, the automatic color change was achieved with the automated presentation of hidden information. This study suggests that 4D printing could enable the creation of colorful and attractive food structures using a household microwave oven, leading to more imaginative solutions regarding personalized foods, which may be particularly important to people with poor appetites.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals