The audacious plan to end hunger with 3-D printed food

The audacious plan to end hunger with 3-D printed food

Now this is certainly an amazing thought. 3D printed food.
Using basic powder & oils to create food. And the food stuffs can sit on a shelf for years before going bad.
And they are talking about possibly using alternative protein sources like insects.

Not sure how I feel about that. But in third world countries this might be a game changer.

Reminds me of Soylent Green.

Anjan Contractor’s 3D food printer might evoke visions of the “replicator” popularized in Star Trek, from which Captain Picard was constantly interrupting himself to order tea. And indeed Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corporation, just got a six month, $125,000 grant from NASA to create a prototype of his universal food synthesizer.

But Contractor, a mechanical engineer with a background in 3D printing, envisions a much more mundane—and ultimately more important—use for the technology. He sees a day when every kitchen has a 3D printer, and the earth’s 12 billion people feed themselves customized, nutritionally-appropriate meals synthesized one layer at a time, from cartridges of powder and oils they buy at the corner grocery store. Contractor’s vision would mean the end of food waste, because the powder his system will use is shelf-stable for up to 30 years, so that each cartridge, whether it contains sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein or some other basic building block, would be fully exhausted before being returned to the store.

You will of course need to buy an FDA approved printer and only use proteins that have been approved by Monsanto and adhere to accepted GMO alterations.

If they can make these food printers very affordable so that everyone can have them, I definitely this idea worthwhile for some situations. Maybe for food presentation in high end restaurants, or maybe for preppers (who already have lots of powdered foods...) etc.

On the other hand, what is the point of "printing" the food... If the foods printed are powder/oil based, why do we need to add a device that prints the food for us? If you have powdered potatoes, why not just add water and cook them in a pot, instead of a printer?

Same goes for most powdered foods too, why add the extra step of printing it rather than just cooking it the old fashioned way.

There will never be an end to hunger.

People in many countries will reproduce like rabbits if they have sufficient food.

There may be a temporary pause in hunger but soon the stupid will reproduce to such an extent that it overwhelms the capacity of the world to feed them.

Sorry for my negativity.

reply to post by grey580


The real gamechanger for 3rd world countries depends on the willingness of the banker elites. If they really wanted to change something over there, they wouldve/couldve done it years ago..

sooooooo...... the replicator from star trek is finally realized.

reply to post by thetimewasright


1 Layer at a time.
Sort of.

reply to post by whatsup86


You know how it is.

Unless there's money involved they don't care.

Once we begin printing organic compounds in the name of food we open the doors to printing drugs.

Not that I'm at all against that but given the hyperbolic paranoid hoopla over such simple an item as a two inch plastic tube being 3d printed I can only imagine what the plebes will be screaming when word get out that Johnny can print his own meth.

reply to post by grey580

Reminds me of Soylent Green.

I thought soylent green was people

They can't use human protein :shk:

Bugs though, certain ones, are protein rich

I wonder if Monsanto is in on it..


This seems like a great idea in theory.. But synthesized food? Really? Every kitchen? Highly doubtful.
If anything, I see it going the opposite. More local farmers, gardeners relying on their own stock and community trading.. Even look at how the Organic Market is booming. People want REAL food,

our food is synthesized enough already

I doubt you could make it so its worth while to print out a burger meal let alone anything of any real nutritional value

reply to post by grey580


Clearly and finally the first step to the Star trek food replicator!
Such a thing could change the world. once we all have replicators to disposed of old goods break them down and build food and items we will need no money. Everyone will have everything necessary to a decent life.

This is nothing like a replicator.

I don't see how this could end world hunger seeing as you have to have food components to make it work in the first place.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
Once we begin printing organic compounds in the name of food we open the doors to printing drugs.

Not that I'm at all against that but given the hyperbolic paranoid hoopla over such simple an item as a two inch plastic tube being 3d printed I can only imagine what the plebes will be screaming when word get out that Johnny can print his own meth.

already has more ground then you'd think.

www.vice.com...

reply to post by grey580

It's only a matter of time before we start to grow food from base components in a very industrial way. For example, can you imagine carrying 1000 chickens on a spaceship? Or having big decks for farms? Sorry, folks, that won't likely happen. It's too bulky and time consuming. Instead they'll grow things from chemicals/machines/etc. Not to mention that animal-rights protests can be greatly reduced this way. And vegetarians could eat meat without feeling guilty about it.

What they'll do first is have a DNA storehouse of all animals and plants we've historically consumed. Then they'll figure out exactly what it's we NEED nutritionally. And so on. This way if you're on a spaceship and you're far away from earth, you don't need to go back to get a special plant. Instead, you fabricate some DNA or something and grow the plant or you reproduce its needed traits.

I can imagine we'll be printing just about anything. Programmable matter too.

I can see soy protiens being used to replicate meats
If they do this, they NEED to make it practical so the everyday Joe can have one
Although, it will be a long time before we can replicate a can of coke or a cup of Earl Grey Tea pop out of our replicator

You would still need the raw ingredients to make a DISH. It can reproduce a particular shape of a raw ingredient (apple, banana, pepper etc etc). However bottom line is that it cannot replace nature. It might be feasible for other sectors of the industry for reproducing specific components and parts IMO.

I find this ridiculous and quite offensive, with all the tonnes of food thrown to waste each day around the 'civilised' world.
Sure, a poor starving child couldn't care less if they had to choose between some vegetables or a 3d printed BigMac.
But that's no excuse for not providing real food and care to the developing world.

reply to post by Wildbob77


The stupid, like you and me?! Or which people are you referring to?
You know what, don't answer, it might get you into a lot of trouble... being called a racist would be a possibility.

Anyhow, by increasing the living standards (that includes having a better supply of food) people tend to reproduce less... infact some western countries will face problems in the near future because the birth rate has actually dropped significantly.