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Intra-phase reinforcement of chitin nanocrystals in bicontinuous bigels: a strategy for high-precision 3D food
Erpeng Chao1, Qun Yu1, Jieying Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China.
Abstract:
This study introduced an intra-phase reinforcement strategy utilizing chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) to enhance the structural stability and 3D printability of bicontinuous bigels (BCBG). Varying ChNCs concentrations significantly influenced the gel network, rheological behavior, textural attributes, and oil/water distribution, thereby influencing their performance as edible inks for 3D food printing. Notably, the 1% ChNCs-BCBG exhibited the highest creep recovery rate (60.15 ± 0.08%), maximum thixotropic recovery rate (69.63 ± 0.06%), longest delay time (λret = 13.42 ± 0.43 s), greatest cohesiveness (1.53 ± 0.14). Additionally, it significantly improved water retention, as evidenced by a reduction in the T₂₃ relaxation time from 938.49 ms (0% ChNCs) to 335.94 ms (1% ChNCs). These improvements induced superior printing performance, reducing deformation rates to 1.34 ± 0.14% for the starfish model and 2.16 ± 0.13% for the Superman model. Correlation analysis further confirmed strong relationships between rheological and textural properties, water/oil distribution, and 3D printing precision. This study underscores the potential of ChNCs-reinforced BCBG in 3D food printing.
