Is this the future of our food industry?
Chloé Rutzerveld’s Edible Growth project consists of 3D-printed shapes containing a mixture of seeds, spores and yeast, which will start to grow after only a few days.
“Edible growth is exploring how 3D printing could transform the food industry,” she says in the video above. “It is about 3D printing with living organisms, which will develop into a fully grown edible.”
Rutzerveld’s project is eye-opening to the general public in regards to what up-and-coming technology can be capable of. Some will decry such a process of cultivating and growing food, claiming that it isn’t “progress” and as “foodies”, they “enjoy fresh products that are prepared with love and knowledge,” but I humbly disagree. Yes, food is an important part of many cultures, and nothing quite beats making a meal with someone you love, or enjoying a meal that a loved one has made for you. However, those claiming that 3D printing food is Frankensteinian fail to see the wonder that these little 3D printers can invoke.
This process of making edible foods isn’t meant to replace how we traditionally make our food. I see it as a study into what technology is more and more capable of doing — turning science fiction into science fact. Maybe it’ll hit the mainstream in 10 or so years; maybe it won’t. But if it does, it doesn’t mean that we must, or even should, forgo the process of cooking for 3D printing. When viewed simply as another accessible tool in the kitchen, an advanced mini-oven, if you will, Edible Growth’s technology is just another tool in our arsenal.
When I look at Chloé Rutzerveld’s project, I see knowledge in the fields of design and plant biology, devotion, experimentation, and beauty. And if you were to look into my eyes upon first learning of the technology behind Edible Growth, you would in turn see wonder.
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