For some of us, it sounds like a dream: a printer that can produce pizza. Send me to the office to make copies, teacher!
Ok, so it doesn't work quite that way. But with advancements in 3D printing technology, food is on the, well, it's on the table. Along with items you might consider more "traditional" for that realm, like plastic-based models.
In 3D printing, a three-dimensional digital model is made by laying down many thin layers of material.
Perhaps not surprisingly, chocolate was one of the first foods to be used in 3D printing, not only for its deliciousness but for the way it can be melted and then cooled (and hardened) quickly. NASA is exploring its uses for space missions.
Then, in 2016, a startup company called BeeHex raised more than $1 million to launch its first product, a pizza printer. The company is also involved in personalized nutrition, which is viewed as the next horizon in 3D printing.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.