Trends in the development of 3D printing minced meat/surimi from the perspective of structure and function

Abstract

3D printing is characterized by customizability, rapid prototyping, on-demand manufacturing, and decentralized/distributed manufacturing. Minced meat/surimi has high nutritional value, and by changing the composition, rheological and textural properties of the materials, 3D printed meat and aquatic products can meet the needs of special populations such as infants, young children, and the elderly, to solve the problem of swallowing difficulty, food accumulation or indigestion. However, minced meat/surimi is not directly printable, and the multi-component complex system composed of protein-polysaccharide-fat affects its printability, and the structure-property changes of this system during the printing process in relation to interactions and nutrient digestion still need to be explored in depth. This paper starts with the 3D printing process to illustrate the structural characteristics of raw materials on printability, stability, and adaptability. The digestive characteristics of different people for 3D printed minced meat/surimi products are described from the perspective of nutrition. 3D printing technology has a great potential to achieve precise printing in complex formulations, thus realizing the goal of providing specific nutrients to target populations.