Creation of internal structure of mashed potato construct by 3D printing and its textural properties

3D printing was used for printing mashed potatoes (MP) constructs with variable internal structures. The dimensional properties, textural and structural qualities of the printed objects were investigated as a function of infill levels (10, 40 and 70%), infill patterns (rectilinear, honeycomb and hibert curve), and number of shell perimeters (3, 5 and 7). The printed samples significantly matched the designed geometries. Hardness and gumminess were strongly related to infill levels and perimeters, but the printing paths being performed to fill the samples showed no effect on them. Firmness and Young's modulus were only affected by infill percentage but not by perimeters and printing paths. Further, comparative assessment of 3D printed and cast samples were also conducted on the textural properties and microstructure features. Microstructure analysis indicated a uniform internal structure was obtained for cast sample. In comparison, an obvious layered structure was observed in longitudinal-sectional direction while a porous structure was obtained in cross-sectional view of 3D printed samples regardless of infill levels. 3D printed samples, even at 100% infill, were significantly (p < .05) less hard, by up to 26.75% and 28.36% in terms of hardness and gumminess, compared to cast samples. The results suggest that 3D printing considerably changes the properties of printed samples, possibly offering a new way for tailoring textural properties of printed samples through creating their internal structure.