New digital decoration technology launched
cookies, crackers and chocolate while they are still on the
production line, the manufacturers claim.
The new technology, launched last week at the Pack Expo packaging fair in Las Vegas, has the potential to turn custom designs into a mass industrial process, saving food manufacturers both time and money. US company Dimatix Technology Integration (DTI) said that the Merlin T food decoration system comprises a digital jet that shoots out edible ink at a high speed. This jet is both FDA approved and kosher friendly, the company said, and is precise enough to mark either white text, graphics or geometric patterns on food products. "The system can decorate non-porous foods such as dark-coloured chocolates, as well as a broad range of porous foods such as cookies and crackers," the company said. According to DTI, the technology can also be set up to run along side other machines involved in food production, so that the "printing operation converges at the point of production." The Merlin system can also be integrated with other food decoration lines if necessary, the company said. DTI is a subsidiary of Fujifilm corporation, a US based company specialising in micro-production technology for a range of industries, the company said.
