Printing on Edible Substrates

Abstract

Printing on delicate surfaces, such as flowable food products, is described.

1 . A process, comprising: 
 providing an inkjet printer capable of ejecting a series of drops for deposition on a substrate in a predetermined pattern;    providing a food product comprising a component material having a softening temperature, wherein the component material at a surface of the food product is provided at its softening temperature; and    applying to the food product from the inkjet printer a series of media drops in a predetermined pattern while the component material at the surface is softened.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising heating the surface of the food product to a temperature sufficient to soften the component material.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the food product comprises a food product base and a coating comprising the component material.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 3  further comprising coating the food product base with a layer of the coating material to form the food product.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the food product base is coated with the coating material while the coating material is at a temperature above the softening point of the component material.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the component material is a fat.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the coating material is an icing.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the food product base is a baked good.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the baked good is a cake or pastry.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the food product is a snack food.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising heating the component material to or above its softening temperature.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein further processing includes allowing the food product to cool to a temperature below the softening point of the component material.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the drops comprise a dye.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the drops comprise a solvent.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined pattern comprises an image.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the image is a text image or a graphic image.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the inkjet printer is a drop on demand inkjet printer.  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the inkjet printer is a piezoelectric inkjet printer.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the droplet deposition is at a resolution of 50 dpi or more.  
   
   
       20 . A process comprising 
 softening a component material at a surface of a food product; and    applying to the food product from an inkjet printer a series of drops in a predetermined pattern while the component material at the surface is softened.    
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein softening the component material comprises heating the food product.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the food product surface is a surface of a layer of an icing.  
   
   
       23 . A system for depositing media drops on a surface of a food product, the system comprising: 
 an inkjet printing apparatus configured to eject a series of drops on a substrate in a predetermined pattern;    a transport mechanism for positioning a food product relative to the inkjet printing apparatus so that the inkjet printing apparatus can eject drops on the food product, the food product comprising a food stuff;    a dispensing apparatus configured to dispense the food stuff onto the conveyor upstream from the inkjet printing apparatus; and    a heater configured to heat the food stuff so that a component material in the food stuff is at or above its softening temperature when the inkjet printing apparatus deposits drops onto the food product.    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the inkjet printing apparatus is a drop on demand inkjet printing apparatus.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the inkjet printing apparatus is a piezoelectric inkjet printing apparatus.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the heater is configured to heat the food stuff before the food stuff is dispensed by the dispensing apparatus.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the heater heats the food stuff after the food stuff is dispensed by the dispensing apparatus.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the dispensing apparatus dispenses the food stuff onto a food product base to form the food product.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the dispensing apparatus is a coater.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the dispensing apparatus is an extruder.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the transport mechanism is a conveyor.