Effect of pectin on printability and textural properties of potato starch 3D food printing gel during cold storage

A growing demand for 3D food printing urges the investigation of ready-to-print ink formulation. Development of these ink has become a great challenge as the properties of 3D printing ink change with storage. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of pectin on the 3D printability of potato starch gel during cold storage. The study employed three concentrations of pectin [1, 1.5, and 2% (w/v)] with 15% (w/v) of potato starch to study 3D printability after storage at 4 °C for 7 and 14 days. The microstructure, syneresis, and rheological and textural properties of the pectin-added potato starch gels were measured against the control (potato starch gel without pectin). Pectin-added potato starch gel exhibited an excellent printing performance even after 14 days of cold storage. Among the three concentrations of pectin, the 2% pectin-added gel showed the highest printing fidelity after storage at 4 °C for 0 (97.12 ± 0.39%), 7 (91.45 ± 1.06%) and 14 days (91.11 ± 3.54%) compared to the control. Hardness and gumminess of the pectin-added starch gel decreased during cold storage. Microstructure and FTIR spectra of the control gel were significantly different from those of the pectin-added gels, owing to a higher degree of retrogradation of the control ink. These results suggest pectin is a promising additive for improving the 3D printability of potato starch gel during cold storage.