a meal with chicken and vegetables ( made from “ real ” whole food purees ) than they were about 3D printed sugar confections , meat and food made from food waste and alternative food sources such as algae and insects .
Cultural beliefs about what kinds of matter are considered tasty and appropriate to eat were central in our participants ’ responses . While substances such as insects and algae fit consumers ’ preferences for natural ingredients , these foods were considered disgusting by nearly all the participants .
They could not imagine eating them or serving them to others . These materials were considered to be inedible according to the cultural norms of our participants , no matter how they are prepared or processed . So , it wasn ’ t that they were 3D printed per se , but what they were printed from that affected their attitude to the food .
Those participants who had ethical misgivings about eating conventionally grown meat liked the idea of 3D printed meat products . But most of the participants considered
3D printers can produce food in shapes that would be impossible by conventional means , like this geometric sugar cake topper . 3D Systems the process to be a little too much like “ Frankenfood ”, particularly if it involved using laboratory-cultured meat . Here it was the process of making the ingredient that was considered “ unnatural ”.
Building familiarity Many participants ’ lack of familiarity with the 3D printing process underpinned their reservations about the safety of using food materials that would otherwise be discarded as waste . They were unsure about how the risks of food contamination and preservation would be dealt with .
Many of them also considered the healthiness of foods to be an important factor . Our participants had no problem viewing 3D printed sugar confections , pizza or chocolate as potentially edible . But they did express concern about the healthiness of these foods , given their ingredients and current status as junk food .
So , if our results can be generalised to the broader population , it seems many people are interested in novel food products . They will try them if they can be assured of their edibility , healthiness and safety , and understand how these products are processed and what they are made from .
But our study shows that those wishing to promote 3D printed food might have several challenges on their hands . First , they may need to familiarise the public with how this process works and reassure them that it is safe .
Then they might need to emphasise that 3D printed food is tasty , even if it looks unusual or is made from ingredients that are not normally considered edible by cultural standards . Only then might consumers consider the possibility of including 3D printed food as part of their lives , including at the Christmas lunch table .
Acknowledgement Deborah Lupton , Centenary Research Professor , University of Canberra ; Bethaney Turner , Assistant Professor in International Studies , University of Canberra : Would you eat a 3D printed pizza ? December 22 , 2016 , First Published in https :// theconversation . com / would-you-eat-a-3dprinted-pizza-70335 . Republished under AgriKultuur | AgriCulture
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