3D Printing Complex Egg White Protein Objects: Properties and Optimization

Three-dimensional (3D) is an emerging technique for the production of various unique and complex food items. Printing materials and recipes should be optimized to improve the quality and efficiency of 3D printing. This paper presents the development of a novel food formulation for 3D printing. This formulation is based on a complex mixture system that comprises egg white protein (EWP), gelatin, cornstarch, and sucrose. The effects of EWP addition on the rheological, lubrication, and texture properties and the microstructure of the mixture system were investigated. The results of the rheological and tribology studies show that a 5.0% (w/w) EWP mixture system is ideal for use in 3D printing. The addition of a certain concentration of EWP could improve the hardness and springiness of gel samples. The improvement in these properties facilitates the timely flow-out of the printing material from the nozzle and improves the viscosity of the printing material. The latter effect helps maintain the shape of the printing material during printing. Furthermore, the printing parameters for the optimal geometric accuracy and dimensions of the printed mixture system were determined and are 1.0 mm nozzle diameter, 70 mm/s nozzle moving speed, and 0.004 cm3/s extrusion rate. This work suggests that 3D printing based on the EWP complex system is a promising method for producing food objects with complex shapes.