3D printing based on meat materials: Challenges and opportunities

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, as an emerging technology, is driving great progress in the food industry. In the meat field, 3D printing is expected to replace the traditional food industry and solve the problems of raw material waste and food contamination. Nevertheless, the application of 3D printing in meat still faces many challenges. The rheological properties of the ink, such as shear thinning behavior, viscosity, and yield stress, are critical in determining whether it can be printed smoothly and ensuring the quality of the product. Meat materials are complex multi-phase colloidal systems with unique fibrous structures that cannot be printed directly, and improving the printability of meat colloids mainly limits meat printing. The complexity of meat colloidal systems determines the different heat requirements. In addition, at this stage, the functionality of the printer and the formulation of a single nutritional and organoleptic properties limit the implementation and application of 3D printing. Moreover, the development of cultured meat, the full application of by-products, and the emergence of new technologies provides opportunities for the application of 3D printing in the meat industry. This review highlights the current challenges and opportunities for the application of 3D printing in meat to provide new ideas for the development of 3D printing.