NASA:'3-D Food Printer; End of World Hunger?

Some 3-D printer food made from meal worms (TNO research)

By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News | The Sideshow – Tue, May 21, 2013

Call it food for thought. Or perhaps thought for food: NASA has given a six-month grant to a company developing what could be the world’s first 3-D food printer. And the project’s developer, reports Quartz, an online digital news site, believes the invention could be used to end world hunger.

Quartz explains that the printer is the brainchild of mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor. Being developed by Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corp., it will use proteins, carbohydrates and sugars to create edible food products.

Contractor says one of his primary motivations is a belief that food will become exponentially more expensive in the near future. The average consumer, he told Quartz, will need a more economically viable option.

Some alternative food source options that may be used with the printer include algae, duckweed, grass, lupine seeds, beet leaves and even insects, according to TNO Research, which is working with Contractor on the project.

“I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently,” said Contractor. “So we eventually have to change our perception of what we see as food.”

One of Contractor’s first prototypes will be a 3-D pizza printer, and he hopes to begin building it over the next couple of weeks. Contractor, reports Quartz, explained that it will print "a layer of dough, which is baked at the same time it’s printed, by a heated plate at the bottom of the printer. Then it lays down a tomato base, 'which is also stored in a powdered form, and then mixed with water and oil.'" Lastly comes the "protein layer."

Contractor also hopes that people will be able to share recipes via an open source coding system.

“One of the major advantages of a 3-D printer is that it provides personalized nutrition,” Contractor told Quartz. “If you’re male, female, someone is sick—they all have different dietary needs. If you can program your needs into a 3-D printer, it can print exactly the nutrients that person requires.”

NASA is certainly a believer: The six-month grant comes to $125,000. The agency specifically interested in using the 3-D printer to feed astronauts on long space voyages.

“Long distance space travel requires 15-plus years of shelf life,” Contractor said to Quartz. “The way we are working on it is, all the carbs, proteins and macro and micro nutrients are in powder form. We take moisture out, and in that form it will last maybe 30 years.”

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/nasa-awards-grant-3d-food-printer-could-end-194050661.html

***************

Interesting. If it's palatable, why not. Much better than starving to death.

 

This will only be available to the wealthy while. The poor starve. We stock pile and destroy food while the poor starve in this country.

 

How so?


Some alternative food source options that may be used with the printer include algae, duckweed, grass, lupine seeds, beet leaves and even insects...“I and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently...

I think if they can figure out how to solarize it's power source, this could go far in 3rd world/developing countries.

 

Yeah really

Food is constantly over consumed or thrown out, yet others starve

Kinda weird

As a side note, this reminds me of star trek replicators

 

Bliss we have far more than we need now. We not only stock pile food we fricking destroy it. In a country where 47 million are food insecure does that even make the slightest bit of sense? So we have more than enough now without "printing" food yet people starve so I don't see how this will make any difference in the life of the common person. It will more than likely be an emergency device for the wealthy.

Yeah it does doesn't it. I wonder what it will mean for agriculture workers ie farmers when this works like them

 

I'm not sure why you both are equating this Food printer to the industrialized world, or namely the U.S. This is more on a global scale envisioning. Worms, seaweed, bugs, etc. And ok, pizza. I think this grant is more to help the STARVING.

But when you speak of us throwing away food, I agree with you, we are quite wasteful, but all our waste would not feed the world's truly hungry.

And I sometimes wonder about this hunger in America, if it isn't being confused with poverty. I think we have already discussed how hunger here isn't because we don't feed the poor, it's the parents who don't feed the kids and spend their foodstamps on liquor, drugs and clothes.

And what about the high rate of obesity in poor kids? That's a whole other discussion -

 

There is an amazing documentary that I saw last winter Food Poverty: The American Way.
It addresses a lot of what you're saying. The media gives a ton of miss information because the parents using ebt cards for liquor is far less than they make it seem. We have obese kids because high calorie foods are far cheaper. People won't buy fruits and veggies when potato chips and candy are far cheaper not to mention bad calorie foods are far more filling. Pizza is now a dollar a box at my supermarket while chicken and other meats are damn near 3 bucks a pound. A bag of apples cost me five bucks but non brand name chips are 2 bucks for damn near family portions. The fact is Americans ARE starving but people don't associate the starving with those who supposedly live in the richest country in the world.

 

I think it's also about educating the parents on how to shop for and cook healthy meals for their children. Handing over EBT cards, and "trusting" (or not caring) that the parents are doing what's in the best interest of their children is ridiculous. I know in California, when parents apply for and get WIC, they are required to attend educational sessions that include how to shop with health in mind, how to prepare healthy meals (including low calorie snacks), and how to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. The children, and pregnant or post-delivery mothers, are weighed at every visit and a counselor reviews their dietary habits, and helps formulate a healthy eating plan. They also review immunization schedules for the children, and make sure the kids are getting seen for their well child checks. If this sort of follow up occured for food stamp recipients as well, I think we'd see much more success. Unfortunately it comes down to money...the government won't increase their staffing to accomodate this level of attention to welfare recipients.

 

I disagree because for one we subsidize foods riddled with pesticides yet the organically grown stuff cost an arm and a leg. Its not just about education there are real cost disparages. When a candy bar cost less than healthy options not to mention tastes better to most what do you think they are going to purchase. And lets not forget about the working poor who make too much for assistance but not enough to actually live. You can get a lot more calories and a full feeling from McDonalds for 5 dollars than any kind of healthy option.

 

You don't have to buy organic. Changes happen in baby steps...if we could get people to simply start buying fruits and veggies and lean meats...we can work our way to the organic stuff eventually. There needs to be more regulations on what EBT money can purchase. IMO, it should be more like WIC where you get coupons for specific foods (healthy cereal, low fat/fat free milk, cheese, eggs, fruit/veggies, and a variety of other foods). Giving out a debit card with "free grocery money" isn't helping these families in the long run. And I disagree about McDonalds being cheaper than any kind of healthy option. I could give a hundred cheap, healthy, tasty meal ideas that are kid approved. It takes a little effort, but if our kids aren't worth that, then what the fuck are we doing anyways?

And trust me, I'm well aware that most would rather have a candy bar than fresh fruit or veggies for a snack. I've raised my kids from jump to eat healthy foods, so even at bday parties...they go for water and the veggie trays over the crappy snack foods. It's really about active parenting...we have to TEACH our children about food choices. If you let an average 5 year old pick out their own snacks...it'll be nothing but sugary items. Parents need to take a more active role in their childrens diet and exercise, and IMO this sort of education should be incorporated into the EBT program. Throwing money at a problem doesn't fix anything (as we can see!).

 

Again education means nothing without the means to implement. Maybe food is cheaper in Cali than it is in NY since you have more local farms and cheaper labor without transport cost but I'm telling you as a consumer cheap shitty high caloric food is more than half the cost of healthier options and when you literally don't have the money to buy healthy food you'll buy the bad option. Not to mention the plight of the working poor who can probably stretch their already thin paychecks to feed their family healthier food but you also forget the time cost. If you're a single mom working two jobs that barely make ends meet you don't have the time to make healthy options. I know what's coming next and I we get you're a single mom but you also make a lot more than the average and your one job isn't as taxing as two shitty jobs. And the problem isn't education or even throwing money at the problem its where we throw money. Just make the healthy option as affordable and you'll see a massive change but when you have to be particularly price conscious you won't even bother looking at healthy options because you know ahead of time you just can't afford it.

 

Love, I hear what you're saying about making healthy options cheaper...I'm ALL FOR THAT. But do you know how much some of these families get in grocery money? At one point I supported my family of 4 making $14/hr. I know there are people making less than that, but you make it seem like I've always made good money and that's not the case. I've been that mom who worked her 40 hour work week, and worked an additional 20 hours OT just to be able to survive. I've been that person who doesn't make shit, yet doesn't qualify for any assistance. I still found a way, I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

And ftr...I know of a few families who get $600-$800 per month in EBT money for their family of 4-5. That's WAY more than I was ever able to spend on groceries when making $14/hr. They were eating steak and shrimp (no joke), when I was making turkey spaghetti lol. I don't deal well with victim mentalities...99% of the time there's a way to do the right thing, it just takes a little more effort. So I get what you're saying about the big picture, needing to bridge the price gap between healthy foods and high cal foods...but I also think parents need to shoulder a little more of the responsibility in managing their childrens dietary needs and caloric intake. JMO.

 

And that to me is the big failure of government/society. I get personal responsibility but for every good thing you can do for yourself the system is designed with four other ways to make it easier to hurt yourself when it doesn't have to. Nearly 50 million people in this country alone can barely make ends meet and something as basic as food should be an easy thing. I really implore all of you to see that documentary because there are literally millions who are trying but can't make it work and I'm sorry I get the take the easy way out mentality when so much is stacked against you. We play the shame game way too damn much. I get some people take advantage but there are so many hard working honest people who want to do what's right but have roadblock after roadblock thrown up against them.
And I am not taking a shot at you but when you were making 14 bucks an hour I'm sure you had some kind of help in the form of a spouse unless dude was the sit around and play xbox type most people in these situations are doing it on their own and would kissing the ground if they could make 14 an hour let alone OT. You are incredibly blessed to be in a field that has that much work while people are struggling to get 40 hours a week at minimum wage. Like I said its not a shot at you but too many people have this "well I figured out how to do it why can't they" attitude forgetting why we invest in government. Its to provide a way for people who can't provide for themselves and in a country that LITERALLY BURNS FOOD poverty shouldn't be tolerated. I get that EBT should have some reformations but the bigger picture is why do we need subsidize food when we produce more than we need. The EBT cards aren't the problem its providing nutritious options for the working poor who can't qualify for wick or EBT and to stop holding them responsible for other people's bad decisions.
Rant over lol

 

Ding ding ding lol. Help?? Dude didn't know what that word meant (still doesn't)! It's all good though love, I feel ya. I never meant imply that I'm not grateful for what I have, nor did I mean to come across like a poverty stricken single mom. I know my examples wouldn't work for everyone, and I know there are many, many families who are doing everything they can to survive and they're still struggling. I've been in their shoes, I know the cards are stacked against them. My point was really about education and healthy eating options...but I get what you're saying. You seem to have ideas to fix the bigger issue....I'm just trying to stop the bleeding.

 

This is the point my son always makes with me when I encourage him to eat at home instead of running for fast food. But his argument is more about being satisfied and feeling full, not so much that he can't make an inexpensive option. He can. He totally can save money by buying healthier foods and making them himself. But the amount of money he would have to spend to make something healthy and filling is probably the same as buying a $5 lunch off the dollar menu. Even a large salad with chicken or shrimp isn't as filling as a couple of burgers and fries, but it's more expensive to buy it out and maybe marginally less expensive to make it.

He starts school again in the fall and I'm hoping he can still work enough hours not only to satisfy his living requirements but to still apply something, however small, to his existing school loans. We'll have to braisntorm on ways to get him cooking at home and spending less.

 

It looks so nasty and dry. I'd have to drown that in some homemade gravy...

 

Im curious about something. Can you and others give me a glimpse of what you consider to healthy and how much it costs because I think I may be looking at different menus.

 

Nice cut of fish, a good salad and some soup w/ a fruit smoothy. That's a perfectly tasting, yet health meal for me. And inexpensive if you do it yourself. Buying it out, you're looking at $20+. Go to a whole foods/organic market....$30-40.

 

It depends on how you want to eat. I try to do low-carb so I don't worry as much about fat content. I rarely eat fried things. Protein: Pan-roasted or baked chicken, fish and pork (a lot of people shy away from pork, but I love it). Salmon, any mild white fish. Non-starchy veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower (versatile - you can mash it like mashed potatoes, or chop it to resemble rice), green beans, any type of greens. Salad vegetables. I add avocados to my salads for the fat content and I love guacamole and corn chips. I just make a mock guac by mashing the avocado with a little lemon & sea salt. Nuts and seeds:Raw if possible, or lightly salted. Source of good fat. Eat a handful as a snack (almonds) or add to salads. Fruits: Any. I have to watch sugar content (and of course, watermelon - my favorite - is highest in sugar content. ) I typically eat eggs for breakfast, adding veggies or salsa & some shredded cheese. Healthier would be just to use the whites.

Also, eat your calories, don't drink them. Lol. I choose good ol' H20 as my beverage 95% of the time. A tip to cut down on salt on vegetables or rice: Use lemon juice and butter instead. It's heavenly on broccoli. And an easy salad dressing: 1 or 2 T Olive oil, lemon juice (to taste), dijon mustard (to taste), sea salt & a smashed garlic clove. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl and pierce the garlic clove with a fork. Whisk the ingredients with the fork. Put the dressing in the salad bowl first and toss the lettuce with it. Then add the remaining salad ingredients. You can drastically cut down on the amount of salad dressing by using that procedure.

I have less than $200 a month to spend on all my groceries (including paper goods, personal hygiene, etc.) I shop at Aldi, which is an off-brand grocery store and I can find most of what I want there. I also buy paper goods, some personal needs at dollar stores. Obviously, I can't afford to buy organic, but I buy as healthy as I can afford.

 

200 a month for two people? Wow that's thrifty.