This study aimed to develop a clean-label 3D-printable food ink using a formulation based on Khanom Piak Poon, a traditional Thai dessert, enriched with carrot powder (CP) for enhanced nutritional value. Unlike conventional food printing inks that contain additive hydrocolloids, this ink relies on the natural reactions between starch, sugar, and dietary fiber. Response surface methodology (RSM), combined with a Box-Behnken design, was applied to optimize a formulation consisting of rice flour (RF), coconut sugar (CS), and CP. The results showed that interactions among these components significantly affected rheological properties and printing accuracy. The optimal formulation had an RF:CS:CP ratio of 9.8:5.4:6.3, achieving 93.6% printing accuracy, which was close to the predicted value (R2 = 0.99). Rheological analysis revealed that successful printing depends on a specific balance between shear-thinning behavior and viscoelasticity. The optimal formulation exhibited a viscosity of approximately 1000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 0.1 s−1 and a storage modulus (G’) of 5000 Pa at an angular frequency of 10 rad/s. This defined rheological range allows for optimal flow under pressure while ensuring rapid structural recovery after printing. Textural characterization indicates that the optimized printed gel had a soft texture suitable for easy consumption, comparable to the traditional dessert, but with improved nutritional value. This study provides a rheological framework for the 3D printing of clean-label, plant-based food, demonstrating that the matrix of the traditional Thai dessert can be successfully modernized without compromising its original composition.
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2026 The Author(s). Food Bioengineering published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology.
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