Groove fabrication on surface of soft gelatin gel utilizing micro-electrical discharge machining (Micro-EDM)

This paper reports the utilization of micro-electrical discharge machining (EDM) to process gelatin gel, which is a soft food material. The influence of the applied voltage and selected electrodes on the processed shape was investigated. In addition, using safflower oil in the process can produce narrow grooves. The results showed that micro-EDM with safflower oil can produce micro-grooves (width equal to 2 mu m), and alphabet characters can be engraved into gummy candy and jelly, which are foods containing gelatin. These findings are indicating a potentially powerful tool to produce impressive appearance by fabricating micro texture on gelatin foods.