Food Layered manufacturing is a digitally controlled food construction process which can build up complex 3D food products layer-by-layer to make an object from a 3D model data, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Different from robotics-based food manufacturing technologies designed to automate manual processes for mass production, 3D food printing as it is popularly called, integrates 3-D printing technologies and digital gastronomy techniques to manufacture food products with customization in shape, colour, flavor, texture and even nutrition (Sun et al., 2015). Most notable printing technologies with current applications in the food industry include Sinitering Technology, Fused Diffusion Modeling, Binder Jetting and Inkjet Printing. Three types of printing materials (i.e. natively printable materials, non-printable traditional food materials, and alternative ingredients) are currently been used for customized food fabrication. The various types of platform for food printers include self-developed, commercial and user-interface. Eventually, the potential prospects of food printing on personalized nutrition, on-demand food fabrication, food processing technologies, process design, modification of traditional recipes, among others, cannot be over-emphasized. Their applications in bespoke food manufacturing, domestic cooking or catering services can not only provide an engineering solution for customized food design and personalized nutrition control, but also a potential machine to reconfigure a customized food supply chain (Sun et al., 2015).
