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Precision cooking for printed foods via multiwavelength lasers
Jonathan David Blutinger1, Alissa Tsai2, Erika Storvick2
1Creative Machines Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY, USA. jdb2202@columbia.edu.
NPJ Science of Food
|September 2, 2021
Summary
Precision laser cooking precisely cooks food layer-by-layer, offering controlled energy delivery. This innovative method reduces cooking loss and enables customized meal creation through software-driven patterns.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Laser Technology
Background:
- Additive manufacturing (food printing) creates 3D edible products layer-by-layer.
- Current food printers lack integrated cooking capabilities.
- Spatially controlled energy delivery for cooking remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore precision laser cooking for simultaneous food printing and cooking.
- To investigate the efficacy of different laser wavelengths for cooking applications.
- To assess the potential of laser cooking for customized food production.
Main Methods:
- Utilized blue (445 nm), near-infrared (NIR, 980 nm), and mid-infrared (MIR, 10.6 μm) lasers for cooking.
- Applied lasers to printed chicken as a model food.
- Evaluated cooking, browning, and cooking loss compared to conventional methods.
Main Results:
- Infrared (IR) lasers demonstrated more efficient browning than blue lasers.
- NIR lasers enabled cooking and browning through packaging.
- Laser-cooked chicken showed approximately 50% less cooking loss than oven-broiled chicken.
- Achieved a cooking resolution of approximately 1 mm.
Conclusions:
- Precision laser cooking offers controlled temporal and spatial heat delivery.
- Laser cooking can brown, cook, and transform food, even through packaging.
- This technology promises reduced cooking loss, enhanced food customization, and streamlined food production.
