Printed Food

I'm having somewhat of a dilemma here because an actual technology that I love is starting to bleed over into a fictional technology that I loathe. And while I understand the practicality of the tech being developed, it still makes me somewhat uncomfortable because I know where this is going. At this point, I'm just not really sure how to feel about this.

This article talks about how the EU is researching a program that would 3D print specialized food for the elderly. They will soon be facing a population where one out of every five people will be over 65, many of them in situations where they need outside help to care for themselves. And as we age, our nutritional needs change. A lot of older people also develop a condition that makes it difficult for them to swallow solid foods, meaning that a lot of things have to be mushed down or pureed for them. This takes a lot of the pleasurable aspects out of eating,

Printing out food that is nutritionally sound and textually manageable for the elderly is a very good thing, especially if this can be done at a reasonable price. It could put a very huge dent in the malnutrition faced by many senior citizens and give them something to look forward to. Let's face it, as we age, our pleasurable activities become less and less. Food is one of the few that we can maintain. Once that is taken away from us, a lot of the motivation to continue living begins to fade.

I've been fascinated with 3D printing and what it is capable of for quite a while now. I fully well support the expansion of this technology because I think it could bring a lot of joy to a lot of people's life. The 3D printing of food is no exception to this.

The problem is, I always hated the food replicators on Star Trek. I found them to be so cold and dehumanizing. Particles that just form together to make something, with none of the soul of an actually cooked meal. Cooking is an art. Each person who cooks has their own methods, how they dash spices, how they stir, how and when they decide to add things. This gives a level of  uniqueness and personalty to each dish. I always felt like that was a very important part of the process. To just make things materialize out of particles removed so much of the substance of the meal.

Of course, I realize that the 3D printed meals would be nothing near as advanced as the replicators. They are taking actual food stuffs and creating a different type of meal out of them. Recipes will still have to be formulated. And really, even if it was like the replicators, I think, given the benefit of what this could do for people, I should just get over it. The good outweighs my disquiet.

I guess I also have to take into consideration that I'm a lot closer to being old than I am to being young. One day in the not so distant future, I may be one of the people who could benefit from this kind of program. I may be an old woman who lives in a printed out house and eats printed out meals. Wouldn't that be an interesting way to spend my last days?