Recent advances in three-dimensional printing technology have opened new frontiers in both food and medical applications. Food printing enables personalized nutrition through the precise layering of edible materials to meet individual dietary requirements, particularly for the elderly and patients with swallowing disorders. It also offers a promising approach for sustainable food production using alternative proteins and upcycled materials. In parallel, bio-printing facilitates the construction of tissue-like structures through the spatial arrangement of cells and bioinks, thereby supporting advances in regenerative medicine and drug screening. Our research explored enzyme-crosslinkable hydrogels, nozzle-switching systems, and the computational optimization of printing parameters to improve structural fidelity and cellular functionality. This review outlines current applications and future perspectives of food- and bio-printing technologies, emphasizing their potential contributions to personalized healthcare and sustainable living.

DIC Corporation is engaged in the natural colorant business as part of its colorant technology development. It is expanding its business globally, focusing on Spirulina blue colorant (product name: Linablue^®), which is made by extracting and refining pigment components from Spirulina. The demand for natural food colors is increasing globally as consumers become more health conscious and prefer natural products. However, there are significant barriers to the use of natural dyes for applications other than food, particularly in terms of their stability. By optimizing the physical properties of natural dyes, such as their heat resistance, light resistance, and pH stability, they can be used in inks, paints, and other industrial applications. We are convinced that expanding the use of natural colorants can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

Printing technology is considered one of the most promising approaches for realizing clothing-type wearable devices. However, directly printing on fabric presents many challenges, and the use of transfer printing methods is considered the more practical alternative. Furthermore, the installation of printing equipment in apparel factories pose various operational difficulties. In this study, although the composition of the material is suitable for printing, its use is intentionally avoided. Instead, a method is introduced in which circuits are fabricated on fabric using cutting and hot lamination—techniques that are more easily accepted in apparel manufacturing environments. An example of electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement using a clothing-type wearable device produced with this method is also presented. It is shown that the subject's mental and physical states can be inferred through a novel Cartesian coordinate-based representation of autonomic nervous system activity derived from the ECG.

International regulations on animal testing have tightened in recent years, prompting a demand for alternative methods. The U.S. FDA has acknowledged the limitations of animal experiments and issued guidelines for New Approach Methodologies. Similarly, the EU has adopted the "3Rs" principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) to explore alternatives. Against this backdrop, Dai Nippon Printing, in collaboration with the National Center for Child Health and Development, has been developing "mini-guts" from induced pluripotent stem cells. Mini-guts are pouch-like structures that mimic human intestinal functions, including nutrient absorption and drug metabolism. They absorb key nutrients and have been used to study the effects of COVID-19 variants on intestinal cells. Notably, the mini-guts demonstrated the potential to suppress viral growth when treated with interferon-λ2. In addition, research is underway to incorporate immune functions into mini-guts by introducing macrophages. This development allows the assessment of innate immune responses in vitro.