CyberEurope

Abstract

In this feature, we will try to describe the characteristics of current cyberpsychology research in Europe. In particular, CyberEurope aims at describing the leading research groups and projects running on the other side of the Ocean.

PERFORMANCE: Printing 3D Food for the Elderly

NASA is not the only organization in the world interested in food printing. While the concept may indeed be a must-have for astronauts on their future trip to Mars, it also arouses interest in Earth-focused sectors. For food producers, 3D food printing evokes unlimited customization potential for their products, as well as unique food formulations for specific dietary needs. The latter was one of the main targets of PERFORMANCE (www.performance-fp7.eu/), a €3 million project that developed a novel nutrition concept for the elders suffering from dysphagia—chewing and swallowing difficulties generally resulting for a stroke or dementia. Many of the innovative solutions developed as part of PERFORMANCE—from data software for meal details to unique active packaging—are now primed for commercialization.

The PERFORMANCE concept

Unlike current dysphagia diets, which are mostly based on puréed and premashed food and result in a loss of appetite, eventually leading to malnutrition, the PERFORMANCE concept replicates the look and taste of “real” food and adapts it to each patient's needs. The project team explains that “puréed and strained food is brought back into its original shape, providing the same texture and look, and provides additional health benefits.”

The food is enriched with specific nutrients based on each patient's size, weight, sex, and deficiencies, and these can be adjusted to ensure that the diet is always well balanced. This process is fully automated, thanks to an algorithm created by German IT company Sanalogic: it monitors the nutritional status of each patient and automatically enriches the meals of subsequent orders on a weekly basis. The project team predicts that the full personalization of food, which has now been advanced by the work of PERFORMANCE, will be an automatic reality in an era of Industry 4.0.

Getting as close to the original food shape was one of the main challenges faced by the project team. “Printed puréed food needs to be firm after printing, but liquid enough to dispense from the printing heads,” explains Pascal de Grood, founder and CEO of project partner Foodjet. “We use a printing technology based on jet printing. A gelling agent supports the shaping of the puréed and strained food. On the one hand, the gelling agent needs to be compatible with the printing system, while on the other hand, the printing system must support food matrices such as meat, carbohydrate, and vegetables.” The system uses only natural ingredients, along with a natural texturizer to make the printed meal as close as possible to the real thing.

Every detail has been taken into account, even beyond the food itself. To avoid hot and cold spots resulting from food heating in a microwave, the Danish Technological Institute and Italian partners FEMTO and University of Pisa have developed “active packaging”—split plate with perforated microwave reflectors placed on top and underneath it.

The Performance concept is already being tested by the target market. Consumer tastings were carried out in care homes just last week. Project manager Sandra Forstner from biozoon food innovations presented some preliminary results at Friday's final project conference: “This week, we went back to nursing homes to prove and validate the concept, and we have had some positive preliminary results so far.” The tastings tested the whole PERFORMANCE system, from ordering personalized meals using the specially developed software to the production and delivery of prototype food products that were reheated and served in the care home. Preliminary results show a generally positive reaction to the meal's shape, appearance, and taste: 54% of respondents rated the meal's texture as good, 79% found meals equally heated, and 43% would choose the PERFORMANCE meal in the case of swallowing or chewing difficulties.