3D food printing using cashew nut protein biomaterials: Structural and printability assessment

Title : 3D food printing using cashew nut protein biomaterials: Structural and printability assessment

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Three-dimensional (3D) food printing has emerged as a disruptive technology in food manufacturing, enabling the design of customized structures with controlled nutritional and functional properties. However, the development of printable food matrices still depends on ingredients with adequate structural and extrusion performance. Plant-based protein biomaterials derived from agro-industrial coproducts remain underexplored as sustainable structuring agents for extrusion-based 3D printing systems.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This study investigated the structural behavior and printability of two cashew nut-derived protein biomaterials: Partially defatted cashew nut kernel cake and its respective protein concentrate. Protein pastes were prepared at different solids concentrations and subjected to extrusion-based 3D printing using a syringe-assisted deposition system. Printability was evaluated through lattice-structured geometries, considering extrusion continuity, filament definition, layer stacking ability, and post-deposition shape stability.

Findings: Both biomaterials demonstrated capacity to form continuous filaments and maintain three-dimensional printed architectures. The partially defatted cake exhibited greater structural rigidity and stacking resistance, resulting in more stable printed structures. In contrast, the protein concentrate showed smoother extrusion behavior and improved filament uniformity, although with slightly higher deformation after deposition. Solids concentration directly influenced filament resolution and geometric fidelity.

Conclusion & Significance: Cashew nut protein biomaterials showed promising performance as natural structuring matrices for extrusion-based 3D food printing without the need for external hydrocolloids. Their functional and structural properties support the technological valorization of cashew nut coproducts and reinforce their potential application in sustainable, plant-based additive food manufacturing.

Biography:

Antonio Alef Pereira de Oliveira is a PhD researcher in Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Brazil. He holds a Master’s degree in Agri-Food Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Agroindustry from the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). His doctoral research is conducted at Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical and focuses on plant-based proteins as functional biomaterials for the development of food inks for extrusion-based 3D food printing. He is currently undertaking an international doctoral research period at NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, expanding the technological and global scope of his work. His research emphasizes the valorization of cashew nut by-products particularly cashew almond press cake and its protein concentrate alongside other plant protein sources such as rice, soybean, and pea, investigating their structural, rheological, and printability performance in 3D-printed food systems.