A UK firm has beaten competitors to the development of the first 3D food printer to reach consumer retail, and has plans to roll the concept to retail.
Magic Candy Factory from Birmingham-headquartered Katjes Fassin takes around five minutes to print a sweet weighing between 15g and 20g, beating prototypes in other sectors that Katjes Fassin has said “can take almost an hour to do the same”. The company gave German customers the chance to trial the technology for themselves at a launch event in Berlin this week, and it will be available to UK consumers through online, retail and leisure outlets “by early 2016”.
The technology is based on fused deposition modelling and uses a special blend of natural ingredients, which are heated and then extruded to create a variety of complex shapes and unique combinations. Eight different colours and matching flavours – from lemon to blackcurrant – were developed in Katjes’ laboratory and can be used either alone or in a combination rainbow option.
When it launches, UK consumers will be able to customise their own confectionery with shapes that include hearts, frogs or octopuses – plus 20 different designs with different choices of colour, flavour combinations and finishings.
Katjes Fassin UK managing director Melissa Snover said: “The Magic Candy Factory allows consumers to create truly delicious, custom sweets that are also completely natural, vegan and allergen-free – a first for the world market.
“In addition, the benefit of the experience in store for the whole family is that children and adults can learn about the technology of 3D printing and ingredients in food. Other confectioners haven’t been able to bring anything like this to market, but we’ve spent many months developing this technology to be fast, educational and fun. We’ll be rolling the Magic Candy Factory out across the UK from early next year.”
Katjes Fassin managing director Bastian Fassin added: “We always strive to make sweets that will make our customers smile. Now, we have given them the power and the wonderful opportunity to make a fruit gummy which is special and unique for them.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023
