打印美食：專為老年人研發的3D打印食物

Scientists have developed 3D super-smooth 'jellified' foods made to look like the regular meals we eat every day.

科學家研發了一種3D打印食品，這些“凝膠狀”非常軟，看起來跟日常食物一樣。

From broccoli to roast lamb, the printed food certainly looks very similar but the texture might be a surprise to some.

從西蘭花到烤羊排，這些打印出來的食物長相逼真，口感卻別有一番風味。

Funded by the EU, the Performance project is intended to give elderly people better access to appealing and nutritious food.

這個項目由歐盟贊助，主要是為了讓老人家們能夠更好的攝入有營養的食物。

Known as 'Smoothfood‘， it is a concept for cultivated eating in old age or for people with swallowing difficulties or other illnesses which make normal eating impossible.

3D打印出來的食物被稱為“軟滑食物”，是專為有吞咽困難或因疾病無法正常咀嚼進食的老人設計的。

Smoothfood uses raw, steamed, fresh or frozen foods which are chopped, mixed, pureed or whipped into a foam texture and then shaped so that people with chewing or swallowing difficulties can enjoy their meals.

軟滑食物將生的、熟的、新鮮的或冰凍的食物絞碎、混合、濃縮成漿或打成泡沫，然后重新成型，讓吞咽困難的人們可以愉快地享受大餐。

The look and taste of the end product matches the original food item, but the texture is soft and gel-like. It dissolves easily in the mouth so that it is safe to eat for people withmastication [chewing] or swallowing problems.

無論是外觀還是味道，軟滑食物都跟原來的食物非常相似，其質地柔軟，像膠體一樣，入口即化，吃起來安全可靠，非常適合有咀嚼困難或吞咽困難的朋友們。

Once the meals have been printed, they are frozen and stored to be later heated up in a conventional microwave.

打印出來的食物是冷凍的，可以放進冰箱里，等到要吃的時候拿到微波爐里加熱一下就行。