MasterChef Junior contestants rise to the challenge of 3D printing food
30 Jan 2019 06:05

The young cooks were tasked with 3D printing decorations for the semifinal challenge. The contestants of Spain’s MasterChef Junior televised competition took their plating skills to the next level in the recently aired semifinal, all thanks to 3D printing. The kids, who looked on with awe as the presenters introduced the food 3D printing technology, were tasked with creating their own edible decorations.

Out of all the food challenge shows out there, I have to say: MasterChef Junior is easily the most adorable. In it, kids between the ages of 8 and 12 partake in cooking challenges—learning and practicing new skills along the way. The most recent season of semifinalists will be taking away a cutting edge kitchen skill—one that many adults won’t even have tried: 3D printing.

Assisted by Spanish actor and filmmaker Santiago Segura who was a contestant on MasterChef Celebrity 3, the kids were given the challenge to create intricate and edible decorations for their plates using a food 3D printer.

Though the contestants did not have to design the 3D printable shapes, they did have to create the edible print material, fill up cartridges and operate the 3D printer. In the end, we saw a variety of different 3D printed edible embellishments, including a lizard, a lobster, geometric structures and more.

Food 3D printing is becoming more popular in the food industry, as restauranteurs integrate the machines into their kitchens to create unique decorative pieces for their meals. Still, as attention for the practice grows in the high end restaurant scene, it seems it will be awhile before food 3D printing is commonplace. In other words, don’t expect to be adding a 3D printer to your kitchen appliances any time soon.

That being said, it was a treat to see the technology featured on a cooking show and to see how the children contestants really stood up to the challenge of 3D printing edible arrangements. Perhaps in twenty years or so these kids will be pioneering new food 3D printing techniques!

Prepared on the basis of information from www.3dprintingmedia.network