Abstract: To further illustrate the application of the 3D printing technology in food industry, the prospect of the 3D printing technology in food processing industry was briefed. Specially, the application includes the development of novel food materials, the precise design and regulation of special nutritional requirements, the structural modeling of creative products with the special expression of cultural elements, and the artificial intelligence manufacturing of food. Furthermore, the outstanding technical bottlenecks and challenges of the 3D food printing technology were described, especially in the basic theoretical research of food materials used in printing, the development of printing equipment, and the development of artificial intelligence client software platform. This review aims to provide a theoretical guidance for the application and development of the 3D printing technology in future food processing industry.

Key words: 3D printing; food processing; development opportunities; technical challenge; application prospect