Food 3D Printing Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Ingredient (Dairy Products, Fruits & Vegetables, Dough, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Others), By End-use Verticals (Commercial, Residential) and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The global food 3D printing market is expected to expand at a significant pace during the forecast years, attributed to nutritional control that can be achieved in various processed foods through 3D printers and high-quality assurance promised by the technology. The increasing interest of investors and researchers in developing the most advanced 3D printers to produce high-quality food products is expected to propel the market growth of 3D food printers.

Along with offering opportunities to food manufacturers 3D food printing technology is of a great deal of interest for various other applications as well. For instance, the US Army is showing great interest in 3D food printing in military foods preparations due to various reasons that include customization of food according to soldier’s energy and nutrition requirements, to produce meals in the battlefields (adverse situations), to elongate the shelf-life of the food.

Key companies operating in the global food 3D printing market are focusing on partnerships and collaborations, along with improvement in 3D food printing technology to maintain their prominence in the world market. Systems & Materials Research Corporation (U.S.), Barilla G. e R. F.lli S.p.A. (Italy), and ByFlow (Netherlands) are some of the key companies operating in the global food 3D printing market.

Food 3D printing is a food manufacturing and modification technology that can result in the production of three-dimensional food products.  A 3D food printer is an assembly of actuators, software, sensors and storage capsules (usually of stainless steel or food-grade plastic), that are aligned in a manner to work co-ordinately.

Rapid urbanization across the globe, especially across Asia and other developing regions is expected to drive the demand of processed food of different texture and geometries, which in turn is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast years. The ability of advanced 3D printers to act like stand-alone devices to prepare and produce programmed food by performing multiple actions on the raw or base food ingredients is anticipated to boost the demand of these printers among food manufacturers. Furthermore, the anticipated increase in demand for 3D printers among residential and households to achieve high customization in food may aid the growth of the market in the foreseeable years.  

As the technology is in its nascent stage of development, it comes with a high price, and this can act as a major restraining factor for the global 3D food printing market during the forecast period. Lower adoption of the 3D food printing technology in some developing economies is further projected to act as a hindering factor to market growth.

Key Players Covered

Some of the major companies that are present in the global food 3D printing market are Barilla G. e R. F.lli S.p.A. (Italy), Natural Machines (Spain), Electrolux AB (Sweden), Systems & Materials Research Corporation (U.S.), Print2taste GmbH (Germany), Beehex (U.S.), Choc Edge (U.K.), Biozoon Food Innovations GmbH (Germany), TNO (Netherlands), and ByFlow (Netherlands) among the other players operating in the global food 3D printing market.

Segmentation

On the basis of ingredients, the global food 3D printing market has been segmented into dairy products, fruits & vegetables, dough, proteins, carbohydrates, and others. The carbohydrate segment is projected to grow at a considerable pace during the forecast years, due to their high usage in the production of convenience and nutritious food products. High usage of carbohydrate as an ingredient in the production of various energy food products and easy customization in carbohydrate-containing foods is expected to contribute to the growth of the segment during the forecast years.

On the basis of end-use verticals, the global food 3D printing market has been segmented into commercial and residential. Commercial segment is further diversified into bakeries, restaurants, confectioneries, and others. The commercial segment is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast years, due to high adoption of 3D food printers by foodservice industry, confectioneries, and other to achieve diversity and precision in the manufacturing of food products, along with preparing the products within least possible time. However, the household segment is expected to witness significant growth in the upcoming years, due to higher demand of the 3D food printers to mimic the design and consistency of food products that are tough to prepare at home.

Regional Analysis

Europe is projected to hold the major market share in the global food 3D printing market during the forecast years, owing to high awareness and adoption of 3D printing technology in food products. Presence of key market players in the European region, coupled with increasing innovation by European players is expected to aid the growth of food 3D printing market of Europe, during the forecast years. The market in North America and Asia Pacific is predicted to witness significant growth during the upcoming years, due to proliferating demand for highly customizable and affordable commoditized food products across the regions. Rising collaborations between food manufacturers and food technology companies across North America is further expected to aid the food 3D printing market growth of North America.

Key Industry Developments

• In January 2019, BluRhapsody (a company backed by Barilla S.p.A) announced the launch of 3D pasta printing e-commerce service in the coming months of the year. The e-commerce platform will help customers order customized pasta printed by a 3D pasta printer (developed by Barilla).
• In April 2018, a Chef named Jan Smink collaborated with byFlow, a leading 3D food printing company to launch the first permanent restaurant in Netherlands to offer specialized 3D printed food