By Irene Klotz <\/p>\n
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - In a scene right out of Star Trek, a Texas company is developing a 3-D food printer for astronauts to create custom meals on the fly. <\/p>\n
With support from NASA, the firm, Systems and Materials Research Corp of Austin, intends to design, build and test a food printer that can work in space. <\/p>\n
\"This project is to demonstrate we can create and change the nutrition of the food and be able to print it in a low-gravity environment,\" the company's research director and lead chemist, David Irvin, told Reuters. <\/p>\n
Three-dimensional printers create solid objects by depositing droplets of material one layer at a time. <\/p>\n
Systems and Materials intends to create nutritionally rich, aesthetically appealing and tasty synthetic food by combining powdered proteins, starches, fats and flavors with water or oil to produce a wide array of digital recipes. <\/p>\n
All the ingredients are designed for extremely long shelf-lives, making them suitable for long stays in space. <\/p>\n
\"The 3-D printing system will provide hot and quick food in addition to personalized nutrition, flavor and taste,\" the company wrote in its proposal to NASA. <\/p>\n
\"The biggest advantage of 3-D printed food technology will be zero waste, which is essential in long-distance space missions,\" it added. <\/p>\n
Ultimately, the company sees food printers as a way to help feed a world population that is estimated to reach 12 billion by the end of the century. The technology may also have implications for the military. <\/p>\n
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NASA investing in 3-D food printer for astronauts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - In a scene right out of Star Trek, a Texas company is developing a 3-D food printer for astronauts to create custom meals on the fly. With support from NASA, the firm, Systems and Materials Research Corp of Austin, intends to design, build and test a food printer that can work in space. \"This project is to demonstrate we can create and change the nutrition of the food and be able to print it in a low-gravity environment,\" the company's research director and lead chemist, David Irvin, told Reuters Continue reading