Tag Archives: food

Heinz unveils new ketchup packet for the masses, begs the question: squeeze or dunk?

For years Heinz has been experimenting new methods to give their customers a way to consume ketchup on the go, and they think they’ve finally done it with the ‘Dip & Squeeze’.  H.J. Heinz Co. unveiled a brand new ketchup packet that features a top that can be peeled back for dipping and an end that can be torn off for squeezing.  By keeping the squeeze method onboard, Heinz has made sure not to neglect ketchup traditionalists but at the same time they are breathing new life into the long established ketchup packet found at fast-food restaurants all around the world.  In fact, the new packet/container holds three times as much ketchup as the regular tear-and-squeeze packet.  Heinz is pushing out the new ketchup packets to fast-food restaurants nationwide.  They will continue manufacturing the traditional packets until the new ones prove to be a success.  If I were given the option to squeeze or dunk, I would always take the latter.  But it certainly doesn’t hurt to have both!

[Via ABCNews]

MIT discovers a way to “print” your meals

MIT students Marcelo Coelho and Amit Zoran have devised a way to prepare meals with an advanced 3D printer machine.  The “Cornucopia” printer and its included canisters promise “control over the origin, quality, and nutritional value of every meal, with no packaging or excess food waste.”  Read on to learn about how the process works:

Cornucopias’ printing process begins with an array of food canisters filled with the “cook’s” foods of choice. After a meal selection has been made using the device’s multi-touch translucent screen, users are able to see their meal being assembled while simultaneously manipulating real-time parameters, such as calories or carbohydrate content. Each ingredient is then piped into a mixer and then very precisely extruded, allowing for very exact and elaborate combinations of food.

Once each ingredient has been dropped, the food is then heated or cooled by Cornucopia’s chamber or via the heating and cooling tubes located on the printing head. In fact, the ability to hyper-localize heating and create rapid temperature changes also allows for the creation of meals with flavors and textures that would be impossible to replicate with present-day cooking methods.

So, is this the future of food preparation?  It’s highly customizable, simpe to use, and it reduces waste.  As long as the end result is in fact “edible” and tasty it passes my standards.  Though I have a feeling the Cornucopia will remain a concept for some time.

[Via Inhabitat; Engadget]