We often get asked why we 3D print our super nutrient gummies. At Nourished, we are passionate about innovation and are extremely proud of our patented 3D printing technology and how this makes our gummies so unique.
How 3D printing aligns with our mission at Nourished
When we were developing Nourished, we looked at multiple manufacturing methods available, and 3D printing was the only option that would allow us to create true personalisation at scale.
"Having previously worked with and produced 3D printed food and confectionery using a similar technology, we found we could make a high-quality nutrient gummy, consisting of 7 separate layers containing 3D printed food, vitamins and nutrients," states Martyn Catchpole, Chief Technical Officer at Nourished.
We believe that if anything in this world should be personalised, it should be our health and wellness, and 3D printing technology allows us to succeed in our mission.
The benefits of 3D printed food: tailored nutrition
Ultimately, we can create truly bespoke products on demand that are tailored specifically to an individual's mind, body and goals rather than a ‘one-shape fits all’ approach that is often the case with most traditional supplements.
3D food printing vs traditional manufacturing
In traditional nutrition, supplement and food production, manufacturers are limited by having to make hundreds of thousands of the same product at once, which are not personalised for the end user. Our innovative food printers enable us to make a whole month’s supply of bespoke nutrient gummies on demand and in a matter of minutes.
"3D printing food and nutrition is beneficial for a number of different reasons," states Martyn Catchpole, Chief Technical Officer at Nourished.
"Nutrients and other active ingredients have certain parameters, which mean they can degrade with exposure to various conditions (such as heat, light, moisture and humidity), especially over a prolonged period.
Other vitamin products in the nutrition and food sector can also come from extremely protracted supply chains, which means that products can be up to a year old when a consumer purchases them. This can lead to lower efficacy levels in the product, meaning that you may not receive the full potential benefits had it been fresher.
At Nourished, our additive manufacturing methods mean we can avoid those issues by freshly printing our gummies after an order is placed and then shipping them directly to consumers' doors in a few days. This results in our nutrient gummies containing up to 99.5% efficacy levels.
Our innovative manufacturing processes and in-house NPD capabilities also allow for super-speedy development, which means that Nourished can be extremely reactive to changes in trends and customer needs to enhance our product offering.
Gummy absorption levels
Studies also show that certain ingredients can have a higher bioavailability when consumed in a gummy format, compared to a traditional pill (made possible through our 3d printed food encapsulation process) [i].
This study suggested that as gummies are chewed, their dissolution begins in the mouth when combined with saliva and then continues throughout the body, which gives them greater bioavailability than pills which are swallowed whole [i].
Sustainable nutrition
As our products are made on demand, we don’t need to dispose of any unwanted, unsold or expired stock. This results in less food waste as our food printers only make what is required. We also do not use any single-use plastic in our 3D printing production process.
If you would like to learn more about our sustainability practices, then visit the link here.
The future of 3D food printers and printing food: personalisation
When we say that our 3D printers enable us to provide bespoke products, we really mean it!
Thanks to our intelligent online quiz, customers can take a short lifestyle consultation and get a bespoke recommendation of superfoods, nutrients and vitamins in a delicious 7-layer gummy stack.
Customers can even build their own stack from scratch directly from our Nourished Lab page here.
This actually means that there are 10's of millions of potential stack combinations that you can create.
Want to learn more about 3D printed food and nutrition?
To find out more about our 3D printed stacks or the ingredients, research, and studies mentioned in this article, then click the link listed below or visit the website research page here.
You can also learn more about our Team, technology and our additive manufacturing methods on the link here.
