Corentin Coulais (UvA): Edible Metamaterials

Corentin Coulais (UvA): Edible Metamaterials

Metamaterials have already widely been used in physics and engineering to control how light and sound propagate. In other sectors – like the food industry – their potential has remained completely unexplored. We think that metamaterials could dramatically improve the interactions between humans and materials and to help create sustainable food sources.

We have done first steps into that direction by designing chocolate metamaterials that break in unusual ways. We used advanced numerical techniques and 3d printing to create metamaterials that are very weak in one direction, and very strong in the other, and that have a controlled number of cracks. We even gave those samples to a panel of people and asked them what they felt when biting, and the results confirm that indeed they experienced improved and unexpected sensory experience.

For the future, we really would like to bring this concept to the market, beyond chocolate. For instance, our dream is to create personalised food for haute cuisine and for patients with eating disorders and to create meat-alternatives with interesting mouthfeel.