Characterization of milk-based gels enriched with vitamin E through 3D printing

• Grant number: 25/05621-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Carmen Cecilia Tadini
• Grantee: Gabriel Aparecido Atanazio da Silva
• Supervisor: Giana Estela de Andrade Almeida Perre
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Agroparistech, Campus Agro Paris-Saclay, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/12692-9 - Development of geis based on milk enriched with vitamin E by 3D printing, BP.MS

Abstract

Challenges in chewing and swallowing food are usually associated with a medical condition known as dysphagia. This condition can occur naturally, through aging, or because of previous clinical conditions, including cerebral vascular accidents, neurological diseases and cancers. Thus, it can affect individuals across different age groups, requiring diet modifications. In this context, the food industry has a fundamental role in ensuring a healthy lifestyle for patients diagnosed with dysphagia, while retaining the desire to eat. 3D food printing emerges as a potential technology to produce modified-texture food with extensive customization, tailored to suit the specific dietary demands of each patient. This project aims to assess different formulations of milk-based gels through extrusion-type 3D printing.Furthermore, the lipid composition of milk will be used to carry vitamin E (¿-tocopherol), considering its lipid-soluble nature, to enrich the developed gels. As a result of this research, it is expected to achieve formulations with rheological properties suitable for 3D printing and sensory acceptance by consumers. The developed gels should exhibit stability, nutritional value and sensory characteristics that can enhance the life quality of dysphagic patients.