Improving 3D printability of pumpkin pastes by addition of surimi

In the field of food 3D printing, the printable range of pumpkin powder is small, and the printing research on natural food protein and polysaccharide systems is very rare. Therefore, the feasibility of improving the 3D printing properties of pumpkin paste by adding surimi was investigated. The effects of surimi content in the range of 2%–17% (w/w) on the water distribution, rheological properties, 3D printing accuracy and stability, water-holding capacity, and texture of 3D printed composite slurries were determined. The composite gel containing 2% (w/w) surimi has suitable storage and loss moduli with higher water retention properties. This composite gel exhibits higher 3D printing accuracy, support performance, and fidelity. What's more, the texture properties of its 3D printed samples are suitable for people with dysphagia. On the other hand, the slurry containing 12% (w/w) surimi exhibited the worst support performance due to the high mobile water content and the 3D printed samples also had the worst texture.