Shelf Life Extension Technologies and Quality Maintenance of 3D-Printed Plant-Based Foods

Abstract

The rapid development of 3D printing technology has promoted the industrialization process of personalized plant-based foods, but the short shelf life and easy quality deterioration of 3D-printed products have become key bottlenecks restricting their commercialization. This study systematically reviews the shelf life limiting factors of 3D-printed plant-based foods, focuses on the application of shelf life extension technologies (including modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging, non-thermal processing, and formulation optimization), and explores the mechanisms of these technologies in maintaining the nutritional quality, sensory properties, and microbial safety of 3D-printed plant-based foods. The interactions between 3D printing processes and shelf life extension technologies are analyzed, and the existing challenges and future development directions are discussed. Research results show that the combination of multiple shelf life extension technologies can synergistically improve the storage stability of 3D-printed plant-based foods. This review provides theoretical support and technical reference for solving the quality maintenance problems of 3D-printed plant-based foods during storage, and promotes the sustainable development of the 3D-printed plant-based food industry.

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