Google chows down on 3D-printed pasta

Google's staff benefits are renowned in the IT industry, and along with the scooters, free time for personal projects, slides and game machines, the search giant's employees have been enjoying something else — 3D-printed pasta.

Bernard Faucher, an administrator and exhibition chef at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, says that along with the high-tech VitaMix blenders and water circulators he uses, he likes to play around with 3D printers so he can "really get creative" with the food he serves Google employees.

3D printers make it possible to 'print' 3D objects by successively layering drops of liquid, which harden. The technology is versatile and potential 'inks' can range from plastics to sugars and, in this case, pasta. 

In an interview posted by Dance New England, where Faucher also works, the chef notes that he uses a 3D printer at Google to print pasta so "my food has a very distinct and customisable shape." Watch from 2:30 minutes into the video below to hear more.

At the time of writing, Google had not responded to a ZDNet request for more information on the technology. Or on its menu.