Development of functional foods by using 3D printing technologies: application to oxidative stress and inflammation-related affections

Abstract

The antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of nutraceuticals and functional foods are current research topics in the area of the management and prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation-related diseases (Peluso et al., 2018). This is of special interest since these natural products allow to treat inflammation without the need of the traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs that can cause several side effects when used for long-term periods (Gupta et al., 2017).On the other hand, currently, there is a clear demand for healthy, safe, and natural foods that require a minimum effort and preparation time as well as personalized nutrient content. This concept of adapting food to the individual?s needs and health condition has given rise to the demand of new technological solutions that allow the ?tailor-made? production of food formulations. In this context, 3D printing emerges as a group of technologies capable of producing customized formulas with the desired shape, dimension, and microstructure. Particularly, 3D printing is an additivemanufacturing technique that involves the layer-by-layer deposition of materials to form a 3D structure that may not have been achievable with conventional manufacturing techniques, under the control of computer software (Godoi et al., 2016).Particularly, this chapter first exposes the currently available 3D printing technologies with application in the food industry. Then, an account of the most significant nutrients and their role, together with diet habits in the inflammatory and oxidative stress processes are presented. Furthermore, the early attempts that have been developed so far in order to achieve personalized foods with antioxidant and/or antiinflammatory functions by using 3D printing technologies aresummarized, as well as the attempts on the development of preventive or palliative foods. Finally, the current challenges this new fabrication method faces and the opportunities for the food sector are summarized.