We are in a world where food is served hot from the pan, but can you imagine eating a food from a printer?
Startup Natural Machines has introduced a 3D printer for food during the Web Summit technology conference in Dublin called "Foodini", which creates food with stainless steel capsules and edible ingredients.
Foodini serves as a sort of mini food manufacturing plant, almost a size of a microwave oven, which has the ability to print a range of dishes, from sweet to savory.
However, Natural Machines says that its printers will utilize fresh ingredients.
"The food is real food, made from fresh ingredients prepared before printing," the company says.
"Promoting cooking with fresh ingredients, Foodini manages the difficult and time-consuming parts of food preparation that often discourage people from creating homemade food."
Therefore, you will still have to bake or boil the food before eating it.
You can also share your recipes through Syncing Foodini with your smartphone or tablet to share recipes.
"It's the same technology" as regular 3D printers, co-founder Lynette Kucsma told CNN. "But with plastics there's just one melting point, whereas with food it's different temperatures, consistencies, and textures."
The company also told CNN that foods would probably expire after about five days, so they don't encourage you to stock your Foodini capsules.
And because this is new technology, many people are still in doubt whether its healthy or safe to eat.
So, Natural Machines has conducted some tests, and all has positive results.
"Take the microwave oven, for example," Kucsma told CNN. "In the '70s, people were a bit fearful about it, they thought food could be poisoned with radiation or something. But fast forward 30 years, and there's one in every household."
"This is real food, with real fresh ingredients," she continued. "It's just prepared using a new technology."
Initially, Natural Machines is marketing the Foodini to professionals, but a consumer version is will also be available for about $1,000, and Interested chefs can sign up online.
