Hospital in the Netherlands plans to serve 3D printed food

The Isala hospital in the Netherlands has published plans that patients should get 3D printed food – at least parts of their meals should be 3D printed. The meals should be individual tailored for the needs of the patients.

Studies have shown that patients that are more often or over a longer time in hospitals are often malnourished because some nutrient is missing in the typical hospital meals. To fight against these problems the Isala hospital has teamed up with the food supplier Huuskes to produce more personalized meals for the patients. These meals should be produced with fresh food and the help of 3D printers.

They will use only fresh and healthy food that is mashed and then 3D printed into different forms. With this technology it’s possible to create a wide variety of meals and it has the chance to make the normally boring hospital meals more interesting and healthy at the same time.

This should help at special cancer patients because they eat less than other patients and they are often for a long time in the hospital. But not only the meals can make a difference the Isala hospital also wants to let the patients sit together during the meals so that they don’t have to eat in their beds anymore. To ensure the patients come as fit and as well-nourished as possible in the hospital they also want to deliver food before hospital stays and afterwards too.