Food loss and waste valorization offers a sustainable source of biopolymers in bioinks for 3D printing

Madadi M 1 , Amiri H 2 , Pan J 3 , Song G 1 , Liu D 4 , Gupta VK 5 Show all authors , Aghbashlo M 6 , Tabatabaei M 7

Affiliations 

  • 1 Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
  • 2 Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
  • 3 State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arable Land in China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 4 Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China. liudan@caas.cn
  • 5 School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. vijaikumar.gupta@dcu.ie
  • 6 Department of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. maghbashlo@ut.ac.ir
  • 7 Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia. meisam.tabatabaei@umt.edu.my
Nat Food, 2025 Mar 27.
PMID: 40148591 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-025-01146-7

Abstract

Food loss and waste (FLW) valorization remains challenging due to mixed properties and composition arising from seasonal and regional variations in food production. Here we examine the capacities of 3D printing for valorizing FLW streams, with a focus on FLW-based bioinks. We consider how waste management practices, 3D printing technology and emerging FLW valorization techniques could address challenges concerning raw material sourcing, improved material printability and suitable mechanical properties. Bioink ingredients incorporating biologically active compounds derived from FLW streams could offer tailored functionalities, supporting food preservation and economic, health and environmental sustainability benefits in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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