NASA investing in 3-D food printer for astronauts

NASA investigates 3-D Printer

3-D printing has been in the news lately with the production of the first 3-D printed gun, but now a potentially more important use has begun to be investigated with the first research into 3-D food printing. With the expected launch of the first space missions to Mars coming within the next decade NASA is searching for ways of storing and producing food for the journey to the red planet. A six month research grant has been awarded to Anjan Contractor of Systems and Material Research Group to fund a prototype of his planned universal food synthesizer.

The $125,000 research grant will fund research and development into the production of food from powdered forms of carbohydrates, proteins and nutrient. Using powdered forms of the important ingredients of foods means the powders can be hydrated with moisture and reformed into different meals; this could be important as astronauts traveling to Mars will be forced to eat what they take on the initial journey and be reliant on supply ships bringing fresh food. Others hope the development of the food synthesizer can help the world change its diet and reduce world hunger as the population grows to an estimated nine billion by 2040.

On The Web:
NASA-Funded 3D Food Printer: Could It End World Hunger?
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/24/nasa-funded-3d-food-printer-could-it-end-world-hunger/