Method for the production of edible objects using SLS and food products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092030-B2
Application number	US-201414894231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	May 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for the production of edible objects by selective laser sintering (SLS) using particular multi-material powder compositions. The edible compositions comprise a binder component having a melting or glass transition temperature in the range 10-200° C., and a structural component which is non-melting at the temperatures below 200° C. The composition is then subjected SLS to obtain a three-dimensional edible object. The invention can be used to produce food products using SLS, such as a bakery product, a dry mix for beverage, an instant soup or a confectionery product, among others.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for the production of an edible object, comprising providing an edible powder composition suitable for selective laser sintering, wherein the edible powder composition comprises a binder component having a melting or glass transition temperature in the range 10-200° C., and a structural component which is non-melting at the temperatures below 200° C., and subjecting said composition to selective laser sintering to obtain the edible object;
wherein said selective laser sintering involves providing said edible powder composition as a powder bed, and selectively fusing said powder composition with a laser by scanning with said laser cross-sections on the surface of the powder bed; and
wherein said binder is present as a powder in said powder bed before said selectively fusing.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder becomes flowable under the selective laser sintering conditions.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises at least two compounds that differ in their melting or glass transition temperatures.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the difference in the melting or glass transition temperatures of the binder ingredients are at least 10° C.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the binder comprises at least 5 wt. % of the compound with the lowest melting or glass transition temperature, based on the weight of the binder.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the compound with the lowest melting or glass transition temperature has the melting or glass transition temperature in the range 10-100° C.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the edible powder composition is a free-flowing powder.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least 10 wt. % of the structural component based on the total weight of the composition.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the structural component comprises starch or semolina.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is in an amorphous state.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from a group consisting of carbohydrates, carbohydrate derivatives, fats, oils, waxes, proteins and mixtures of these.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the carbohydrates or carbohydrate derivatives are selected from mono-, di-, oligo-, polysaccharides and sugar alcohols.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is present in an amount of 10-90 wt. % based on the total weight of the composition.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein water is present in the SLS chamber either as a mist or as powdered ice.

15. A food product comprising the edible object obtainable by the method according to claim 1 .

16. The food product according to claim 15 , being a bakery product, a dry mix for beverage, an instant soup or a confectionary product.

Assignees

• TNO
• Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno Tno/Ip & Contracting

Inventors

• Diaz Jerome Villarama
• Van Bommel Kjeld Jacobus Cornelis
• Noort Martijn Willem-Jan
• Henket Jolanda
• Briër Peter

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• A23P10/00

  Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products · CPC title

• B41F19/08

  Simultaneous moulding and printing · CPC title

• A23P2020/253

  Coating food items by printing onto them; Printing layers of food products · CPC title