Assessing the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of 3D printed dysphagic food

3D-printing of food is an emerging technology that has great potential not only to leading to more efficient food production with less waste but also for developing functional foods, suitable for consumers with specific medical conditions such as dysphagia. An aspect that has not been addressed so far, though, is its environmental performance compared to conventional food production and the potential economic benefits of decentralised 3D-printing of food. We have examined the case of a care home which hosts between 10 and 30 dysphagic residents, with specific dietary requirements, and assessed three alternative scenarios: (a) decentralised 3D printed dysphagic food; (b) centralised 3D printed dysphagic food, distributed to the care home; and (c) centralised conventionally prepared dysphagic food. The analysis has shown that 3D-printing of dysphagic food has a better environmental performance compared to conventionally prepared food, with a 5–13 % improvement in all the midpoint impact indicators. Moreover, the purchase of a 3D-printer by the case home for decentralised production of dysphagic food can be a profitable investment, with the price of conventionally prepared food being the main parameter affecting the decision. A commercial purchase price conventionally prepared food higher than £3.80 per portion of 250 g will definitely render such an investment economically viable, while prices as low as £3.25 can also lead to a viable investment, when the number of residents increases. • The first ever study to assess the environmental impact of 3D printed food • 3D-printed dysphagic food is environmentally better to conventionally prepared • The purchase of a 3D printer by a care home can be a potentially viable option • The deciding factor is the commercial price of the conventionally prepared food