Effect of Homogenized Callus Tissue on the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Food

Abstract

The aim of the study was to develop ink enriched with a high content of lupine callus tissue (CT) suitable for 3D printing. Printable ink obtained using mashed potatoes (20 g/100 mL) and a 3% agar solution was used as the parent CT-free ink (CT0). Viscosity increased from 9.6 to 75.4 kPa·s during the cooling of the CT0 ink from 50 to 20 °C, while the viscosity of the ink with 80 g/100 mL of CT (CT80) increased from 0.9 to 5.6 kPa·s under the same conditions. The inclusion of CT was shown to decrease the hardness of 3D-printed food gel from 0.32 ± 0.03 to 0.21 ± 0.03 N. The storage modulus G’ value was 7.9 times lower in CT80 samples than in CT0 samples. The values of fracture stress for CT80 and CT0 inks were 1621 ± 711 and 13,241 ± 2329 Pa, respectively. The loss tangent and the limiting strain did not differ in CT0 and CT80, although the value of the fracture strain was 1.6 times higher in the latter. Thus, the present study demonstrates that CT may be added to printing ink in order to enhance food with plant cell material and enable the 3D printing of specially shaped foods.