Optimization of the Formulation and Properties of 3D-Printed Complex Egg White Protein Objects

Abstract

The 3D printing of foods is an emerging technique for producing unique and complex food items. This study presents the optimization of a new formulation for 3D printing foods on the basis of a complex system, which contains egg white protein (EWP), gelatin, cornstarch, and sucrose. The effects of different formulations on the rheological properties and the microstructure of the printing system were investigated. The formulation was optimized through response surface methodology, and a central composite design was adopted. The optimum formulation of the 3D mixture printing system was made of gelatin (14.27 g), cornstarch (19.72 g), sucrose (8.02 g), and EWP (12.98 g) in 250 mL of total deionized water with a maximum sensory evaluation score of 34.47 ± 1.02 and a viscosity of 1.374 ± 0.015 Pa·s. Results showed that the viscosity of the formulation correlated with the sensory evaluation score. The rheological properties and tribological behavior of the optimum formulation significantly differed from those of other formulations. A viscosity of 1.374 Pa·s supported the timely flow out of the printing material from the nozzle assisting 3D printability. Thus, 3D printing based on the egg white protein mixture system is a promising method for producing complex-shaped food objects.

Food Texture Design by 3D Printing: A Review

“…Many of the published articles on 3D food printing focus on the search for potential food materials and the optimization of their printing parameters [ 9 , 52 , 68 , 69 , 70 ].…”

“…During the printing process, several printing parameters (i.e., printing and motor speed, nozzle tip diameter, nozzle height, extrusion rate, temperature) can induce changes in the printed structures [ 3 , 11 , 57 ]. Hence, there is a need for the optimization of the materials’ formulation and the parameters involved in the printing process, in order to balance the optimal conditions and the desired outcome [ 52 , 63 , 68 , 70 , 76 ].…”

3d Food Printing With Improved Functional Properties: A Review

“…The complex food formulations can also be 3D-printed by manipulating the viscosity of the mixture. In the study of Liu et al [54], complex food formulations were prepared from egg white protein, gelatin, corn starch and sucrose at different levels in order to evaluate the effect of viscosity on 3D printability. At fixed extrusion conditions, the optimum formulation that had self-supporting structure following the deposition stage was the mixture having a viscosity (1.374 Pa.s) located in the middle range of all tested formulations [54].…”

“…In the study of Liu et al [54], complex food formulations were prepared from egg white protein, gelatin, corn starch and sucrose at different levels in order to evaluate the effect of viscosity on 3D printability. At fixed extrusion conditions, the optimum formulation that had self-supporting structure following the deposition stage was the mixture having a viscosity (1.374 Pa.s) located in the middle range of all tested formulations [54]. These complex mixtures had shear-thinning behavior and like other food systems, the printable formulations had elastic behavior with higher elastic modulus than the viscous modulus values.…”

“…Thermal stability of printing materials is determined prior to the 3D-printing applications, since the materials have different behaviors during cooling or heating applied through processing or post-processing stages of printing. Especially gelation of gelatin or crystallization of chocolate-based inks during cooling and melting of cheese, melting of gelatin, recrystallization of cellulose or pasting of starch induced by heating, further effects the mechanical behavior of printed geometry [32,33,41,50,54,56,57,58,59]. Heating and cooling applications during printing promotes the flowability of the feeding through the nozzles and helps to reach the desired viscosity levels.…”