It is a growing trend that more and more people today are favouring convenience and time saving measures in their daily lives. In an effort to become a safer and more efficient society Sweden is now reported to be the most cashless nation in the world with only 1% of payments last year being made with money according to Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank). In fact, Swedish legislation makes it possible for retailers to refuse to accept cash and to display signs promoting this. As a result of this emerging cashless society  The Associated French Press  report that approximately 3000 Swedish residents, since 2015 have opted to have a micro-chip surgically implanted under their skin. This relatively simple procedure is not only able to replace the need for cash and credit cards, but also keys, gym cards, train tickets and IDs. So, instead of bulging wallets and overstuffed handbags containing several sets of keys and numerous individual cards, this new technology has now surpassed the need to carry all these individual items, instead replacing everything with a tiny micro-chip. However, how reliable is this new technology, how is our online privacy guaranteed? and who is governing it?

For some time now people have been moving towards this type of technology using services such as Apple Pay , Smart Locks. and a new app favoured by many Swedes called Swish, which allows customers to send money securely to anyone else with the app. However, smart phones can be easily stolen, lost or hacked so an increasing number of people have been opting for the more practical and apparently ‘safer’ option of an inserted biometric microchip. These microchips are very similar to the ones veterinarians implant in dogs and cats to locate and reunite them with their family if they go missing. The procedure to insert the microchip is comparable to that of  a piercing and involves a long cannula inserting the microchip (roughly the size of a grain of rice) into a person’s hand. It is not necessarily a painful process but people who have had a chip inserted reported they felt a ‘slight sting.’

Once implanted the chip then fundamentally works as a digital keychain. Using NFC (near-field communication) it is able to send information wirelessly from a chip to a reader at a distance of around 4cm. Currently, the implanted chips are able to unlock doors to cars and offices and make credit card payments. Since June 2017, Swedish people have also been routinely purchasing their train tickets with their microchips and are enjoying the convenience of the new technology. To collect train fares the state owned SJ rail line now scans the hands of all passengers who have a biometric chip inserted. As the technology advances in the future it is predicted that the microchip can be used eventually to purchase everything you are able to with a contactless card in addition to replacing keys, ID, and membership cards.

‘Biohacking’ the term used to describe the modification of bodies with technology is steadily growing in addition to those people who choose to use tech wearables such as Fitbits and Apple watches. Over the past four years Bionyfiken a Swedish biohacking group has organised a series of ‘implant parties’ where microchip insertion takes place collectively. These implant parties have also included small groups in other countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Mexico and the US. At a Wisconsin vending machine company 50 employees volunteered to have the microchips inserted into their hands, which they were then able to use to log onto computers, use photocopiers or buy snacks.

Tech Insider Bionyfiken founder Hannes Sjöblad a huge proponent of biohacking stated in 2015 that: “The human body is the next big platform. The connected body is already a phenomena. And this implant is just a part of it. (….) We are updating our bodies with technology on a page scale already with wearables. But all the wearables we wear today will be implantable in five to ten years. Who wants to carry a clumsy smart phone or smartwatch when you have it in your fingernail I think that is the direction where it is heading.”

It would seem though that Swedish people are far more willing to trial this technology than other nations. This could be due to the fact that their population of approximately 10 million are generally more open and willing to share their personal details as it is all readily available and recorded by their social security system. According to AFP Swedish people are able to call the tax authorities and find out other people’s salaries if they wish.   With this transparency of information it is notable that Sweden has historically low corruption levels and Swedish people are generally more trustful of banks and fraud related to electronic payment. Most Swedish people also do not believe the microchip technology is capable of being hacked as it is not advanced enough and the data that is collected and shared is too limited for users to worry about being hacked or or being under surveillance.

If that is to be the case and we are all walking around with implanted biometric chips in our hands in ten years time, then what about the obvious concerns regarding the security of data? As undoubtably all internet connected data is at risk from being hacked no matter how secure it may seem. With a person highly skilled in coding and the use of a specialised reader even NFC can be hacked. Smartphones have identified and tackled this problem by combining NFC technology with biometric readings such as fingerprints or facial scanning. However, implanted microchips do not yet have the capacity to add this extra tier of security which could potentially lead to your personal information being more susceptible to being hacked.

The other security concern with this microchip technology is the fact that the chips are produced by big companies who would have the ability if the chip was scanned with a reader to track you wherever you go. Large corporations would be able to record how much time you spend for lunch and how many trips you make to the bathroom throughout the day. It is just a matter of time before this happens and opting out of this type of data collection is much more complicated when you have a chip implanted inside your body which requires surgical removal as opposed to being able to leave your smart phone or device at home or at your desk. For some employees then big brother really will be watching them.

Although the Swedish nation appear to be leading the way with micro-chipping technology and are fast becoming a cashless society, they also appear to be more tolerant and trusting of the surveillance and hacking issues. Swedish people believe a cashless society is the way forward as it minimises the risk of robberies and it is a much more efficient and quicker way to pay. However, without additional safeguards to guarantee online privacy, the microchipping phenomenon has the potential to create a huge logistical security problem. This technology is governed presently by the big companies for which sharing of information especially around surveillance almost definitely works in their favour. For now with the risk of uncertainty all eyes are on Sweden to see if any major security or surveillance breaches occur. Other nations currently seem a little more reluctant to follow suit and participate in biohacking with quite so much enthusiasm as their fellow Swedes, so for now at least lets just sit back and watch this space…..

 

 

 

Additive manufacturing, or what is now more commonly known as 3D food printing, has grown massively over the past few years within the tech sector.    In addition to providing greater convenience if introduced into domestic kitchens, this device also has the potential to radically change food production practices and combat wastage issues. But in this “brave new world” of emerging technology is this device sustainable? Does 3D food printing have the capacity to create tasty and nutritious food, which is more environmentally friendly and distributed more efficiently or traded more fairly? Or is it just a new fad which will prove to have no greater impact on global food production than the latest kitchen appliance?

At the present time around one third of all food produced is wasted. In an effort to combat this the food industry from farmers, wholesalers, supermarkets and the government are working both together and individually in an attempt to tackle this problem. Due to the significant amount of food wastage in food production there is a huge incentive to find new ways in which to reduce these figures. According to IDTech 3D food printing may in fact play an important role in facilitating this.

The concept of 3D printing is relatively simple in that a 3D printer acts in the capacity of an industrial robot using CAD (Computer Aided Design).  This technology is then able to create models of any size, shape or geometry. All of this aims to be achieved in the future by a counter-top sized device that has the ability to print tasty, nutritious and affordable meals without the need for the operator to have an extensive knowledge of nutrition or possess any cookery skills.

Until 2014 the emphasis on food printers was mainly to create intricate sugar-laden confectionaries such as those produced by ChefJet. 3D printing has been used by chefs and patissiers on a regular basis to impress their clientele, experimenting with textures and shapes, creating new designs, and saving both time and money. Current technology has now allowed food such as cheese, turkey, hummus, celery and scallops to be printed by applying liquid versions of the foods, layer by layer to build up an edible meal. The ultimate aim is to use hydrocolloids (substances that form gel with water) to create a variety of ‘food inks’ and as there is no prepping of fresh ingredients there is no actual food wastage, which could have a huge impact on sustainability.  Renowned chef Homaru Cantu claims that there is the potential to be able to “grow cook or prepare foods without the negative industrial impact from fertilisers to packaging.” Therefore, the production chain for food would nearly be eliminated.

With the issue of ‘food waste’ and the prospect of ‘future food trends’ Cooperative DOOR (an independent farmers association in the Netherlands) joined forces with Oceanz 3D printing to examine the feasibility of the 3D printing of vegetables. The collaboration of these two companies affords a good blend of two quite different growth markets. The first set of results are due to be published soon. Cooperative DOOR have been involved in several projects so far in an attempt to minimise food wastage at primary production level to zero.  So far the projects have involved; drying tomato slices for use in the catering industry and commercial restaurants; tomatoes rejected on the basis of their size or shape used to create a base for a tomato sauce or a tapenade, and finally with their current research and involvement in 3D food printing they are aiming to achieve their sustainability goal of achieving zero wastage of all its produced food products.

With the global population set to reach 9 billion by 2050 the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation predict that agricultural systems will be unable to supply food to everyone. Therefore, 3D food printing is a viable option for those people in the world who do not have access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable ingredients.

These goals are now closer to being achievable with the recent development of Foodini,  a new machine created in 2014 which not only allows the ability to print a wider range of foods, but also offers the potential for mass marketing in several countries around the world which prior to this had been too expensive to achieve. The growing popularity of the western diet in other cultures also plays a factor in our depleted resources, and 3D food printing could be the answer to meeting the increased demands in an affordable way.

Another advantage of 3D food printing is the ability to reduce food waste as it facilitates the reproduction of ‘ugly’ food. Natural Machines launched Foodini at The World Seafood Congress in Rejkjavik, Iceland, demonstrating their product’s ability to reprocess cuts of fish into more appealing shapes. Working with an Icelandic food company and biotech institute their aim is to 3D print nutritious cuts of fish that usually get left on the bone and discarded during mass manufacturing. In addition, Kucsma states there is a concept of ‘ugly’ fruits, vegetables and meat that are often rejected despite being perfectly good produce, on the basis that they have an irregular appearance and do not pass quality control so are often thrown away. It is this perfectly good produce that 3D food printing could utilise to combat food wastage and shortages.

The customisation and nutritional value aspect are also an important consideration as the 3D printer can be programmed with the ability to produce the correct portion size adjusting to larger or smaller as necessary. This can be adapted for each individual ensuring they obtain their optimum calorie and nutritional intake.

So how does 3D printed food compare to traditional handmade food? The CEO of Beehex states that in taste and quality it is no different at all as the ingredients are fresh and tasty with nothing artificial added. The difference however is in the production. It is a robot making the food rather than a person which potentially makes the product, “cleaner, quicker, more efficient and consistent.”

3D food printing as a technology undoubtedly has the potential to provide us with many benefits and hopefully, with enhanced product design will enable us to produce a much healthier alternative to the processed foods that are currently on offer. People generally tend to regard new and emerging technology with an element of scepticism and suspicion and 3D food printing has so far largely been associated with artificial ingredients, processed food, fake food or “frankenstein food.” If 3D printed food is seen more regularly in restaurants and it becomes the norm to eat printed food, people may well come to realise it can  be a healthier alternative to processed food. Furthermore, the fact that 3D food printing has the potential to rectify bigger issues within the food industry by eliminating the production chain for food, reducing food wastage and providing nutritious food to people in parts of the world unable to access it, may well help to increase its popularity and offer the solution the farmers, wholesalers, supermarkets and government are looking for.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton