Controlling the Three-Dimensional Printing Mechanical Properties of Nostoc Sphaeroides System

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the opportunities for fresh Nostoc sphaeroides (N. sphaeroides) to be applied to 3D food printing. N. sphaeroides is rich in nutrients and its paste possesses shear thinning properties. It was found the product obtained by 3D food printing with fresh N. sphaeroides had poor printability and was easy to collapse. In this study, we compared the addition of different potato starch (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) to the characteristics of 3D printing of the N. sphaeroides gel system. The results obtained from the rheological analysis showed that the 6% potato starch added to of N. sphaeroides gel can be utilized for 3D food printing. The addition of potato starch increased the viscosity of the mixture so the printed lines were not easily broken, and the “self-supporting ability” of the material itself was enhanced to maintain a good shape without collapse. Texture profile analysis also showed that the 6% starch added printed product had the best gumminess parameter. In order to get a better printed product, the effects of printing parameters (nozzle diameter (Dn), extrusion rate (Vd) and nozzle moving speed (Vn)) on material printing performance and product formability was tested. When Dn, Vd, Vn were = 1.2 mm, 20 mm³/s, 25 mm/s, respectively, the printed product was having similar to the target product, with less breakage and less the changing of shape. Overall results show that 3D printing technology is a rising method for producing N. sphaeroides-based new products.