{"id":5385,"date":"2025-05-02T16:35:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T22:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/?page_id=5385"},"modified":"2025-05-12T10:24:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:24:52","slug":"3d-food-printing-a-new-outlook-on-life","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/3d-food-printing-a-new-outlook-on-life","title":{"rendered":"3D Food Printing: A New Outlook on Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Submission 2025<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"Gloomy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Submitted by:<\/td>Laura Lopez-Aldana<\/td><\/tr>
Department:<\/td>Agricultural, Food + Nutritional Science<\/td><\/tr>
Faculty:<\/td>Agricultural, Life + Environmental Sciences<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects about 1 in 17 Canadians. For those living with it, eating can be stressful and even dangerous. To stay safe, many rely on  pureed foods. While these help prevent choking, they often look unappetizing\u2014leading to poor nutrition, less enjoyment, and feelings of isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research explores 3D food printing as a way to improve meals for people with dysphagia. This technology can create food that\u2019s not only safe to swallow but also visually appealing\u2014bringing joy, dignity, and connection back to mealtimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The left side of the image shows a dull, grey world: a stormy sky, and shapeless food\u2014reflecting the emotional weight of traditional texture-modified diets. In contrast, the vibrant right side, with bright skies, flowers, and a hopeful gaze, represents the possibilities unlocked by 3D food printing : A new outlook on life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the centre, a plate bridges the two worlds. One side shows a bland, undefined meal; the other, playful 3D-printed shapes\u2014a snowflake for personalization, honeycomb for nutrition, a car for independence, and a teddy bear for comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was your image created using Generative AI?<\/em>
No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How was your image created?<\/em>
This digital composite was created using Canva (Canva.com)by layering several visual elements. Photographs of 3D-printed  and pureed food prototypes were captured at the Alberta Food Centre in Leduc and the Food Science Laboratory at the University of Alberta. A model was photographed displaying expressions of sadness and isolation for one part of the image and hopefulness for the other. The background features an image of the Edmonton sky, onto which digital graphics were added. Graphics and effects, including stormy clouds, a dark gradient , bright flowers, and a plate, were sourced from Canva. The various photographic and graphic components were then digitally combined and adjusted to visually represent the contrast between traditional pureed food and the potential of 3D food printing to improve the dining experience.It was quite a culmination to an eventful week in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is the image located?<\/em>
This is a digital composite created using research photographs from the Alberta Food Centre in Leduc, the Food Science Laboratory at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), and stock graphics from Canva (Canva.com).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Submission 2025 Submitted by: Laura Lopez-Aldana Department: Agricultural, Food + Nutritional Science Faculty: Agricultural, Life + Environmental Sciences Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects about 1 in 17 Canadians. For those living with it, eating can be stressful and even dangerous. To stay safe, many rely on  pureed foods. While these help prevent choking, they often […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5385","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5385"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5719,"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5385\/revisions\/5719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.library.ualberta.ca\/ior-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}