Determination of Material Requirements for 3D Gel Food Printing Using a Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printer

The material requirements for printing gel food with a fused deposition modeling 3D printer were determined based on fidelity, shape retention, and extrudability, as described by the rheological parameters of storage modulus (G’), yield stress (τ(0)), and phase angle (δ). The material requirements were determined for printing gel food using three formulations containing gelatin, gelatin and pectin, and gum mixture as the gelling agents. As compared with formulations based on gelatin alone, pectin-containing gelatin-based formulations yielded higher δ and lower G’ and τ(0) values, while gum mixture-based formulations formed a gel with higher G’ and δ values and a wider range of τ(0). Overall, this study presents quantitative material requirements for printing gel products containing gelatin, gelatin–pectin, and gum mixtures.