A novel 3D food printing technique: Achieving tunable porosity and fracture properties via liquid rope coiling

We present a 3D food printing (3DFP) method to create coiled structures, harnessing the liquid rope coiling effect as a rapid method of food printing with tunable fractural properties. By studying the printability and coil-forming ability of pea, carrot, and cookie dough inks, we identified optimal printing parameters to induce steady and controlled coiling, enabling the creation of coiled structures with tunable porosities using a single nozzle. Fracture profiles from post-processed coiled structures showed complex responses but presented direct correlations between the porosity and textural parameters, including hardness, brittleness, and initial stiffness. This study provides a foundation for the fabrication of coiled food structures using 3DFP and highlights its potential application in designing textural properties and a range of unique sensory experiences. • Liquid rope coiling is an effective tool to control porosity and textural properties. • Crunchiness is achievable in 3D printable food systems through liquid rope coiling. • Textural properties such as hardness and crunchiness are broadly tunable via liquid rope coiling-assisted 3D food printing.