Recent Progress in Modeling 3D/4D Printing of Foods

Based on the design of printing models, three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) printing technologies have shown extensive and promising application potential in the food industry. The majority of previous researches on printing models focus on single or multiple models to test the performance of printers and inks, assess the influence of printing parameters on product performance, and print new products. This review compares the differences between the recently proposed 3D/4D printing models and summarizes the key factors needing to be considered in model design. The solid models are mainly used to explore printing parameters, while the filling models are used to study the texture characteristics of food. Models with changing shapes or colors reflect the importance of model structural design. The reasons for distortion in the process of transition from digital models to food models are analyzed, and the corresponding solutions are proposed. In the future, it is necessary to expand model database and develop cloud platform services so as to facilitate the sharing of related resources and strengthen the personalized nutrition of different consumer groups.