3D printing chocolate: Properties of formulations for extrusion, sintering, binding and ink jetting

Abstract Three-dimensional printing is an additive manufacturing technique that can be used to prepare food in complex and customised shapes. Chocolate is a popular material for 3D printing that exhibits complex structural and rheological properties. These properties can be engineered to create a wide array of commercial products, from chocolate bars and ice cream toppers to coatings on nuts, wafers and caramel. Three-dimensional printing is a broad term that describes the positioning of a head to extrude, sinter or bind chocolate in a layer-by-layer approach to form an object. In this section, we will review the structural and rheological properties of chocolate formulations used to create these 3D printed products.