engleski

The use of 3D-printing in the production of functional products based on strawberry tree fruit G (Arbutus unedo L.)

The Republic of Croatia has a long tradition of fruit growing due to its geographical position, climatic conditions and high quality of fruit crops. Autochthonous fruit varieties are characterized by good morphological/pomological properties, but their nutritional and biological potential has been underestimated, as well as their ability to be processed into functional foods, which are in great demand on the market. The fruit of the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is an underestimated fruit species in Croatia, and its cultivation and consumption potential has not yet been sufficiently exploited. This fruit is a rich source of health-promoting components such as vitamins, minerals, easily digestible sugars, fiber, and various bioactive compounds with functional value. Therefore, it can be considered as an excellent raw material for the production of functional foods, which are increasingly demanded by consumers. Functional nutrition has largely become the main direction for a healthy lifestyle and is therefore attracting great interest from consumers as well as the food industry, with the aim of improving human health and creating economic wealth in a sustainable way. The existing combination of information and communication solutions is likely to usher in the fourth industrial revolution in the near future, with a focus on additive manufacturing led by 3D printing technology (3DP) in the food industry. 3DP is an emerging digitized technology for producing three- dimensional objects from digital files created layer by layer. Recent advances have led to the ability to create more complex and multi- ingredient food products using 3DP with customized color, shape, flavor, texture, and nutritional content. Since 3DP of food products has great potential to improve the quality and utility of food products, the objective of this work was to investigate the effect of two printing programs with different printing speed, ingredient flow speed, first layer nozzle height and line thickness on the printability of a strawberry tree fruit-based formulation developed by adding different proportions (4, 6, and 8%) of wheat starch (WS) and corn starch (CS). In this study, an extruder-type 3D food printer (Natural Machines Foodini) was used to develop and investigate the applicability of 3DP for functional food production. All samples were analyzed for total phenols, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, condensed tannins, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, as well as antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP). The type of starch and also the different amounts added played a crucial role in the stability of the bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity of the 3DP products. This study suggests that strawberry tree may be a valuable nutrient for the production of novel functional 3DP foods.

3D-printing ; strawberry tree fruit ; functional food ; bioactive compounds ; antioxidant capacity

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