Additive manufacturing of edible objects

Abstract

The disclosure pertains to a method of producing an edible object by additive manufacturing comprising the steps of depositing a first liquid on a part of a layer of a powder composition and irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagnetic radiation. The disclosure also pertains to a food product obtainable by such a method and to a use of a pre-gelatinised starch, native starch, one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, and / or lipids in the method of the invention.

Description

[0001] P136170PC00 Title: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF EDIBLE OBJECTS Field The invention relates to the field of food processing. In general, the invention pertains to food products and additive manufacturing of edible objects. In particular, the invention is directed to a method for producing edible objects, for example, food products, such as pet food and human food. The invention is also directed to a food product obtainable by such a method and to a use of a pre-gelatinised starch, native starch, one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, and / or lipids in the method of the invention. Introduction Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, of edible objects can be realised using various techniques, e.g., Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Powder Bed Printing (PBP), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Selection of appropriate techniques for additive manufacturing of edible objects depend on many factors. For example, extrusion-based manufacturing techniques, such as FDM, are preferred for viscous edible compositions able to retain their shape, e.g., cheese, puree, and frosting. On the other hand, SLS and PBP are preferable for additive manufacturing of solid powder compositions by fusing together powder particles using a laser (SLS) or a liquid (PBP). US 2017 / 0266881 A describes a method for the production of an edible object wherein a liquid deposited on a powder bed is lasered, for instance for making pasta, dry mix for beverage, or confectionary products. Currently known methods of additive manufacturing of edible objects suffer from limited possible textures and structures of the printed edible objects, limitations in various ingredients to be used and nutritional values to be achieved, low printing speeds, and warping during printing. Furthermore, specifically known edible powders are often challenging to print due to difficulties in powder handling, uniform formation of powder bed, powder consolidation, and depowdering of the printed edible objects, among others. A further desire in the field of food production is the production of food products with high fat content, e.g., for pet food. Summary Therefore, there remains a need in the art for objects, such as, e.g., edible objects, articles and products, which addresses at least some of these limitations or challenges. There also remains a need in the art for a method of producing the objects that addresses at least some of these limitations or challenges. Theinvention aims to provide objects and a method of producing objects by additivemanufacturing addressing this need. The inventors found that this aim can, at least in part, be met by providing a method of producing an object by additive manufacturing using a powder composition comprising pre-gelatinised starch, a liquid comprising an aqueous solution of at least 3 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.%, of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the liquid, and / or a liquid comprising lipids. Accordingly, the invention is directed in a first aspect to a method of producing an edible object comprising: i) providing a layer of a powder composition; ii) depositing a first liquid on a part of the layer; iii) irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagnetic radiation to consolidate said part, resulting in a treated powder layer; iv) applying a further layer of the powder composition on top of the treated powder layer and repeating ii) and iii); wherein iv) is performed once or repeated one or more times to form the edible object, and wherein a) the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch; and / or b) the first liquid comprises an aqueous solution of at least 3 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.%, of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid; and / or c) the method further comprises depositing on a layer of the powder composition a second liquid comprising lipids. The invention also pertains to a food product, preferably pet food or human food, comprising the edible object obtainable by the method of the invention. The invention also pertains in embodiments to a use of a pre-gelatinised starch, native starch, one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, and / or lipids in the method of the invention. The disclosure pertains to a method of producing an edible object comprising the steps of depositing a first liquid on a part of a layer of a powder composition and irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagnetic radiation. In embodiments, the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch; and / or the first liquid comprises an aqueous solution of at least 10 wt.% of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid; and / or the method further comprises depositing on the powder a layer of the powder composition a second liquid comprising lipids. The disclosure also pertains to a food product obtainable by such a method and to a use of a pre-gelatinised starch, native starch, one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, and / or lipids in the method of the invention. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 shows photographs of the objects obtained in Example A-1 according to the invention. Figure 2 shows force-distance plot of the compression test of the baked object of Example A-1 (two representative specimens) according to the invention. Figure 3 shows X-ray tomography images of the objects A, B, and C of Example A-2 according to the invention. Figure 4 shows photographs of the objects produced using liquids A-E of Example B-1 according to the invention, ranked according to their resolution and ease of depowdering. Figure 5 shows X-ray tomography images of the objects manufactured using the liquids A, B, C, and D of Example B-1 according to the invention. Figure 6 shows force-distance plot of the compression test of the objects of Example B-1 according to the invention. Figure 7 shows a photograph of the object obtained in Example B-2 according to the invention after removal from the powder bed by shaking off the loose powder on a sieve. Figure 8 shows deposition and irradiation patterns used in Example C-1 according to the invention. Figure 9 shows photographs of an object obtained in Example D-1 according to the invention. Figure 10 shows photographs of an object obtained in Example E-1 according to the invention. Figure 11 shows a texture profile analysis (TPA) plot of the object of Example E-2 according to the invention. Any embodiments illustrated in the figures are examples only and do not limit the invention. Detailed description The invention relates to the preparation of an object, preferably an edible object. Provided is a method of producing the object, which method is generally based on the layer-by-layer construction of the object. The object is for example solid or semi-solid. The method comprises a step of providing a layer of a powder composition. The powder composition is preferably an edible composition. The powder layer, i.e. the layer of the powder composition, is preferably provided in a holder that is suitable for holding a powder bed. In particular, the layer may comprise an edible powder composition. The thickness of the powder layer may be at least 0.10 mm. In particular, the thickness may be 0.15 mm or more, such as 0.20 mm or more or 0.30 mm or more, and / or 2.0 mm or less, such as 1.8 mm or less or 1.6 mm or less. Preferably, the thickness is 0.30 mm or more, such as at least 0.50 mm, or at least 1.0 mm, and / or 1.9 mm or less, such as 1.7 mm or less, or 1.5 mm or less. More preferably, the thickness is 0.60 mm or more, such as 0.70-0.80 mm or 0.70-0.90 mm, for example, about 0.80 mm. Advantageously, good consolidation between the layers was achieved with relatively thick powder layers, which is advantageous for build speed. Throughout the application, the terms “first liquid” and “second liquid” can be substituted by “liquid A” and “liquid B”, respectively. Preferably, the first liquid and / or the second liquid is edible. The method further comprises a step of depositing a first liquid (i.e., a first type of liquid) on a part of the powder layer, i.e. the layer of the powder composition, preferably as droplets, more preferably using a printing head or nozzle. In particular, the first liquid may be edible. The first liquid can be a mixture of liquids. Generally, two or more liquids can be deposited, separately or in combination, and simultaneously or subsequently. For instance, the mean droplet volume is 1 mL or less. In particular, the mean droplet volume may be 150 µL or less, such as 130 µL or less, 110 µL or less, 80 µL or less, and / or 5 nL or more, such as 25 nL or more, 50 nL or more, or 100 nL or more. Preferably, the mean droplet volume is 120 µL or less, such as 90 µL or less or 60 µL or less, and / or 10 nL or more, such a 30 nL or more or 60 nL or more. More preferably, the mean droplet volume is 100 µL or less, such as 75 µL or less or 50 µL or less, and / or 20 nL or more, such as 45 nL or more or 55 nL or more. For example, the mean droplet volume is 10-200 nL, such as 20-150 nL, in particular 50-90 nL. The first liquid may be dispensed as droplets from a dispensing unit, e.g., a printing head or nozzle, particularly according to a pattern. The powder layer (or powder bed holder) and dispensing unit may be movable relative to each other in the plane parallel to the powder layer and may be moved in this plane during the liquid deposition. The method may involve selectively depositing the first liquid according to a (pre-)defined pattern. This may be advantageous for recycle of the part of the powder that is not included in the consolidated object, compared to applying the first liquid onto the entire powder layer. The method further comprises a step of heating a part of the powder layer that contains the first liquid, preferably by irradiating with electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared radiation, to consolidate said part, resulting in a treated powder layer. The electromagnetic (EM) radiation may have a wavelength of about 780 nm or more, e.g., 780 nm to 3 cm. For example, the EM radiation is infrared (IR) radiation having a wavelength between 780 nm and 1 mm. Preferably, the IR radiation has a wavelength between 3 µm and 50 µm (mid-IR). More preferably, the wavelength of the IR radiation is between 5 µm and 20 µm. Advantageously, the use of IR radiation, preferably mid-IR, allows for absorption of EM radiation by water and contributes to safety of the irradiation step. The EM radiation is preferably applied with a laser. The advantage of the laser is the localised application of the radiation. Preferably, the laser has a spot size in a range of 50 µm to 3 mm. More preferably, the laser has a spot size of 100-1200 µm, or 200-1100 µm, or 500-1000 µm. Using the laser with a smaller spot size advantageously improves irradiation resolution and provides more control over the shape of the consolidated object, while using the laser with a bigger spot size improves printing speed. In the preferred embodiment with laser irradiation, preferably the line distance, i.e., the distance between each line of powder layer containing the first liquid, is 1 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, 0.3 mm or less, or 0.2 mm or less. More preferably, the line distance is 0.7 mm or less, such as in the range of 0.3-0.7 mm. The writing speed may be 10 mm / s or more, 20 mm / s or more, 50 mm / s or more, 100 mm / s or more, or 500 mm / s or more. Preferably, the writing speed is 1000 mm / s or less, more preferably 500 mm / s or less. More preferably, the writing speed is 100 mm / s or less. The local irradiation time may be between 0.1 ms and 100 ms, preferably between 1 ms and 60 ms, more preferably between 5 ms and 30 ms. The laser power during irradiation may be 0.5 W or more, such as 1 W or more, or 2 W or more, for example, between 1 W and 25 W, or 12 W or less, such as between 1 W and 6 W or between 4 W and 6 W. A skilled person understands that the laser power during irradiation and a maximal laser output power may differ, and that the laser output power is tuneable in operation. Preferably, for at least one layer, at least 90% of the part of the powder layer on which the first liquid is deposited, is subjected to the irradiation step, preferably all of that part; and preferably for all layers to which electromagnetic radiation is applied or all layers on which the first liquid is deposited. Preferably, for at least one layer, at least 90% of the part of the powder layer that is subjected to irradiation, has received a liquid, preferably at least the first liquid, prior to the irradiation step, and preferably all of said part. Preferably, this applies for all layers to which electromagnetic radiation is applied or all layers on which the first liquid is deposited. The irradiation is preferably spatially selective irradiation, e.g., for at least one layer, less than 90% of top surface area of the powder layer is irradiated and preferably at least 2%, such as 4% or more, or 10% or more of the area; preferably this applies to all layers that are subjected to the irradiation. Preferably, the irradiation is carried out to a pre-determined pattern. An advantage of selectively irradiating a part of the powder layer is that significant heating of non-irradiated parts can be avoided. Relatively low temperature of the non-irradiated parts of the powder layermay in turn be beneficial for recycling of excess powder (i.e., powder that is not included in the consolidated object). Even repeated recycle of the powder without significant degradation of the recycled powder or consolidated object was achieved, as demonstrated in Example A-3. Recycling the excess powder is typically sub- optimal in existing powder bed printing technologies, such as a laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF), due to the change of properties of the excess powder during printing process, e.g. because of excessive heating. Optionally, one or more properties of the irradiation are varied within a single layer or differ between different layers, such as intensity, the line distance, the writing speed. The duration and intensity of the irradiation step may be chosen such that the laser power, i.e., an actual laser output power, and the writing speed may be 0.5 W or more, for example, up to 25 W, such as in the range of 1-10 W, e.g., 1-6 W or 4-6 W, and 10 and 100 mm / s, respectively, so that an energy density of the laser may be in the range between 0.04 J / mm2and 5 J / mm2. The inventors unexpectedly observed that these laser powers and writing speeds advantageously allow for great consolidation of the powder, limited acrylamide formation and limited burning of the consolidated layer while still allowing for overall good build speed of the consolidated object. Preferably, a part but not all of the top surface area of the powder layer is subjected to the deposition of the first liquid and subsequent irradiation, e.g., at least 2% of the surface area, such as 4% or more, or 10% or more and / or 90% or less of the surface area, for at least one layer and preferably all layers that are subjected to liquid deposition and irradiation. The method relates to the layer-by-layer production of a solid or semi-solid object, particularly an edible object. Therefore, the method further comprises a step of applying a further layer of the powder composition on top of the treated powder layer and repeating the liquid deposition and irradiation steps for the further powder layer. In this way, the further powder layer is attached at least in part to the adjacent lower treated powder layer, in particular, the consolidated part of the further powder layer is at least in part attached to a consolidated part of the lower treated powder layer. The powder compositions used in the different layers can be the same or different in the various powder layers. Preferably, the powder compositions used in the different layers are the same in the various powder layers. The first liquid can be the same or different in the various powder layers. Two or more types of powder can be used in a single powder layer or in multiple powder layers. Two or more types of liquids can be used on a single powder layer or on multiple powder layers. In an embodiment, each powder layer comprises the powder composition having the same or different composition. A plurality of powder layers is applied, on top of each other, and treated as described, thereby yielding a consolidated object, i.e., the edible object, embedded in untreated powder. Optionally, an initial (bottom) powder layer is not subjected to liquid deposition and / or irradiation and may provide an additional support for the consolidated object. Advantageously, irradiating a part of the powder layer leads to heating, particularly local heating, of the powder resulting in its bonding and in bonding with parts of the preceding powder layer. Irradiating a part of the powder layer advantageously promotes wetting of the powder layer with the first liquid and improves consolidation of the treated layer thereby improving strength of the consolidated object. Furthermore, irradiation of the powder layer with deposited first liquid typically limits undesirable migration of the first liquid, i.e., wetting of the powder adjacent to the powder on which the liquid is deposited, thereby advantageously improving manufacturing resolution. The method optionally further comprises one or more of the following steps, in the following order: removing the edible object from the holder; removing non-consolidated powder; and subjecting the edible object to a post-treatment. Examples of possible post-treatments include coating, glazing, surface finishing, baking, drying, and steaming. The first liquid may be in the liquid state, in particular when deposited as droplets and, for example, in a liquid state at 25 ºC, and / or liquid at the temperature of the powder layer (before the irradiation step). In other words, the first liquid typically does not solidify upon deposition on the powder layer. The first liquid is typically applied to the powder layer at substantially the same temperature as the powder layer, e.g., at a temperature differing by less than 5 ºC, and / or at a temperature of 10-40 ºC, preferably 15-30 ºC, more preferably 20-25 ºC. Alternatively, the first liquid is applied to the powder layer at a higher temperature than the temperature of the powder layer, e.g., at least 5 ºC higher, such as at least 10 ºC higher, at least 20 ºC higher, at least 30 ºC higher, or at least 50 ºC higher. Two or more types of first liquid can be used in a single layer or in multiple layers. Applying more than one first liquid advantageously allows for improving consolidation of the object and improving its depowdering, e.g., in an embodiment where one first liquid is deposited on a perimeter of the consolidated object and one or more other first liquids are deposited inside of the perimeter of the consolidated object. The first liquid is for instance applied in an amount of at least 50 wt.% relative to the consolidated fraction of the powder layer, such as at least 150 wt.% or at least 250 wt.%, for example, 50-200 wt.% or 50-300 wt.%, including 200-300 wt.%, based on the total weight of the powder used to form the layer, i.e., before any treatment, and based on the fraction of the surface area that is irradiated in a layer; or based on the total weight of the powder minus the weight of the non-consolidated powder retrieved after the process. Alternatively or in addition, the first liquid is applied in an amount of 0.1-2 mg / mm2, preferably 0.2-1.2 mg / mm2, such as 0.25-0.9 mg / mm2, more preferably 0.4-0.8 mg / mm2, relative to the consolidated area of the powder composition, based on the area of the powder used to form the layer, i.e., before any treatment, and based on the fraction of the surface area that is irradiated in a layer. The first liquid may comprise water, e.g., at least 50 wt.%, such as at least 90 wt.%, at least 95 wt.%, or at least 98 wt.%, by total weight of the first liquid. Preferably, the first liquid comprises water. The first liquid may further comprise one or more colourants, e.g., one or more food colourants. In particular, the one or more colourants may be natural colorants, such as beetroot red, and / or synthetic colorants, such as E102, E104, E110, E122, E133, or E142. The first liquid may comprise an amount of colourant of 0.01 wt.% or more by total weight of the first liquid. In particular, the amount of colourant may be 0.1 wt.% or more, such as 0.3 wt.% or more or 0.5 wt.% or more, and / or 2 wt.% or less, such as 1.8 wt.% or less or 1.6 wt.% or less, by total weight of the first liquid. Preferably, the amount of colourant in the first liquid is 0.01-1 wt.%, such as 0.02-0.1 wt.%, by total weight of the first liquid. The powder composition comprises, typically, one or more components selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. The powder composition comprises for instance starch and / or sugars. The powder composition is preferably an edible powder composition. The powder composition is preferably free flowing. Preferably, the angle of repose of the powder is less than 30º. The powder composition comprises particles, for instance, particles with a single type of composition or a mixture of particles with different types of compositions. The average particle size may be 1.0 mm or less, such as 0.8 mm or less, 0.6 mm or less, 0.4 mm or less or 0.2 mm or less, and / or 50 µm or more, such as 0.1 mm or more, in particular 50 µm or more and 0.6 mm or less, such as 0.1-0.4 mm, based on Dx(90), as determined using Static Light Scattering (SLS). The powder composition may comprise starch in an amount of 10-70 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as 20-70 wt.%. Preferably, the powder composition comprises 30-70 wt.% starch by total weight of the powder composition, such as 40-70 wt.%. The powder composition may comprise proteins in an amount of 5-50 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as 10-40 wt.%, for example, as determined by the Kjeldahl method. The powder composition may comprise 1.0-20 wt.% fibre by total weight of the powder composition, in particular dietary fibre. Preferably, the powder composition comprises 5-15 wt.% fibre by total weight of the powder composition. The powder composition may comprise 1.0-40 wt.% lipids by total weight of the powder composition. Preferably, the powder composition comprises 5-30 wt.% lipids by total weight of the powder composition. The powder composition may comprise 0.1 wt.% or more of mixture of micronutrients, vitamins and / or minerals, by total weight of the powder composition. The powder composition may comprise 0.1 wt.% or more vitamins and / or 1.0 wt.% or more minerals by total weight of the powder composition. Preferably, the powder composition comprises at least 0.1 wt.% vitamins and at least 1.0 wt.% minerals. For instance, the powder composition comprises at least 50 wt.% starch and at least 20 wt.% proteins, by total weight of the powder composition. Alternatively or in addition, the powder composition comprises at least 30 wt.% starch, and at least 10 wt.% proteins, and at least 10 wt.% lipids, as demonstrated in Example A-5. The various components are, for example, provided by pulverised whole food ingredients, e.g., wheat flour, chickpea flour, lentil flour, soy flour, quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, the composition comprises individual particles of both starch and proteins. For instance, at least 20 wt.% or at least 50 wt.% of the powder composition is provided by particles that individually comprise both starch and proteins. In an embodiment, the powder composition comprises flour particles, which individually comprise starch and gluten. Gluten may refer to glutelin protein, preferably also gliadin protein. The presence of gluten in the powder composition may contribute to good consolidation. The powder composition comprises preferably dietary fibre, e.g., in an amount of 1.0 wt.% or more by total weight of the powder composition. The fibres may consist of non-starch polysaccharides, such as cellulose. The fibres can be plant-based. In a preferred embodiment, the powder composition comprises starch and the first liquid is aqueous. The first liquid may comprise up to and including 100 wt.% water, such as 10-90 wt.%, by total weight of the first liquid. The powder composition may comprise at least 10 wt.% starch by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, or at least 50 wt.%. Without wishing to be bound by way of theory, heating of aqueous liquid that is absorbed by a starch-containing powder composition, e.g., by irradiation, may result in consolidation of the powder by the starch component and improve localised wetting of the powder layer. The method optionally further comprises removing the consolidated object, i.e., the edible object, from the preferably used holder. The method optionally further comprises removing non-consolidated powder, for example, from the consolidated object, preferably after removal of the object from the holder. For instance, brushing and / or an air stream can be used to remove at least some powder, e.g., loose powder. Non-consolidated powder is preferably removed from the consolidated object by shaking, followed by using an air stream or even by brushing. Preferably, the removed powder is collected. The removed powder is preferably recycled and used in the production of further objects. An advantage of the inventive method is that a high quality of the removed powder is achieved which is thus suitable for recycling. For example, at least 10 wt.% and / or up to 100 wt.% of the powder bed by total weight of the non-consolidated powder is removed and preferably recycled. The recycle preferably involves mixing the removed powder with fresh powder, e.g., in the weight ratio corresponding to the part of the powder bed that is consolidated, as demonstrated in Example A-3. Before recycling, the collected removed powder may be subjected to one or more treatments, e.g., sieving, grinding, and / or drying, to control its physical properties. Preferably, the removed powder is free-flowing and has an angle of repose of less than 30º. The method optionally comprises subjecting the edible object to one or more treatments to obtain a final product, for instance a treatment involving heating, such as baking, drying, microwaving, frying, i.e., involving dry heat, cooking, or steaming, i.e., involving wet heat. Alternatively, or in addition, the entire surface, or part thereof, of the edible object may be subjected to surface finishing, for instance, a treatment involving depositing water on, applying heat to, and / or applying steam on said surface. Advantageously, the surface finishing provides for a smooth and / or glossy surface of the edible object. Optionally, the object may be subjected to coating and / or glazing. In the invention, one or more of the following features are used: a) the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch; b) the first liquid comprises an aqueous solution of an organic compound having one or more hydroxy groups, typically an aqueous solution of at least 3 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.%, of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups; c) further depositing on the powder layer a second liquid comprising lipids. Preferably, features a) and b) are used, or features b) and c), or features a) and c), or features a), b) and c) together, or at least feature a, or at least feature b), or at least feature c). Preferably, the powder composition comprises at least 5 wt.% of proteins, by total weight of the powder composition, e.g., at least 10 wt.%, or at least 20 wt.%, or at least 25 wt.%; in particular in combination with any of said features a)-c). It was found that the features a)-c) are advantageous especially, but not limited to, higher protein content of the powder composition. As a general preference, the powder composition comprises proteins. The powder composition may comprise an amount of protein of 5 wt.% or more (in total, measured on a dry matter basis), by total weight of the powder composition, as determined by the Kjeldahl method. In particular the amount of protein may be 7 wt.% or more by total weight of the powder composition, such as 10 wt.% or more, 12 wt.% or more, or 15 wt.% or more. Preferably, the amount of protein is 8 wt.% or more by total weight of the powder composition, such as 10-35 wt.%, or 15 wt.% or more, such as 18-30 wt.%, or 20 wt.% or more, such as 25 wt.% or more, 30 wt.% or more, 40 wt.% or more, or 50 wt.% or more. A high protein content such as 25 wt.% or more, by total weight of the powder composition, is particularly advantageous for pet food (e.g., cat food, dog food). The inventive method advantageously allows to obtain good consolidated objects even with relatively high protein content. Preferably, the powder composition comprises at least 10 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, or even at least 25 wt.%, such as at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, or even at least 50 wt.%, of one or more components selected from the group consisting of pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, hydrolysed protein, and animal meals. The powder composition may comprise additional protein sources. Suitably, the powder composition further comprises at least 30 wt.%, or preferably at least 50 wt.% of starch by total weight of the powder composition. More preferably, the powder composition comprises at least 10 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, or even at least 25 wt.%, such as 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, 50 wt.%, of one or more proteins selected from the group consisting of corn gluten, wheat gluten, chicken meal, hydrolysed chicken meal and organ meat, and pea protein. Suitably, the powder composition further comprises at least 50 wt.% of starch by total weight of the powder composition. Preferably, the proteins are as present in plant- or animal-based food sources, meals, concentrated proteins, isolated proteins, hydrolysed proteins, thermally treated proteins, physically modified proteins or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the proteins are selected from the group consisting of plant proteins, in particular legume protein e.g. pea protein, lentil protein, chickpea protein, soy protein, fava protein; grain protein, e.g. corn gluten meal, corn protein, wheat gluten, barley gluten, barley protein, rye gluten, rye protein, oat protein, quinoa protein, rice protein; oilseed protein, e.g. rapeseed protein, sunflower protein; other plant proteins, such as potato protein; animal protein, e.g. chicken meal, duck meal, turkey meal, poultry meal, fish meal, pork meal, beef meal, veal meal, lamb meal, rabbit meal, chicken organ meat, duck organ meat, turkey organ meat, poultry organ meat, fish organ meat, pork organ meat, beef organ meat, veal organ meat, lamb organ meat, rabbit organ meat, egg white powder, milk protein, whey protein; mycoprotein; algae protein and seaweed protein; nutritional yeast protein, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the proteins are selected from the group consisting of corn gluten meal, corn protein, wheat gluten, chicken meal, pea protein, soy protein and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the hydrolysed proteins are selected from the group consisting of plant proteins, in particular hydrolysed legume protein, e.g. hydrolysed pea protein, hydrolysed lentil protein, hydrolysed chickpea protein, hydrolysed soy protein, hydrolysed fava protein; hydrolysed grain protein, e.g. hydrolysed corn gluten meal, hydrolysed corn protein, hydrolysed wheat gluten, hydrolysed barley protein, hydrolysed barley gluten, hydrolysed rye protein, hydrolysed rye gluten, hydrolysed oat protein, hydrolysed quinoa protein, hydrolysed rice protein; other plant proteins, such as potato protein; hydrolysed animal protein, e.g. hydrolysed chicken meal, hydrolysed duck meal, hydrolysed turkey meal, hydrolysed poultry meal, hydrolysed fish meal, hydrolysed pork meal, hydrolysed beef meal, hydrolysed veal meal, hydrolysed lamb meal, hydrolysed rabbit meal, hydrolysed chicken organ meat, hydrolysed duck organ meat, hydrolysed turkey organ meat, hydrolysed poultry organ meat, hydrolysed fish organ meat, hydrolysed pork organ meat, hydrolysed beef organ meat, hydrolysed veal organ meat, hydrolysed lamb organ meat, hydrolysed rabbit organ meat, hydrolysed egg white powder, hydrolysed whey protein; hydrolysed algae protein and hydrolysed seaweed protein; hydrolysed nutritional yeast protein, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the hydrolysed proteins are selected from the group consisting of hydrolysed corn gluten meal, hydrolysed corn protein, hydrolysed wheat gluten, hydrolysed chicken meal and organ meat, hydrolysed pea protein, hydrolysed soy protein and combinations thereof. Preferably, the powder composition comprises legume proteins and / or hydrolysed legume proteins in an amount of at least 5 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 10 wt.%, preferably at least 15 wt.%, at least 25 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 70 wt.%, or at least 90 wt.%. The inventors unexpectedly observed that such powder compositions exhibit better powder characteristics leading to improved powder handling compared with the compositions comprising animal proteins as a sole source of proteins. In a preferred embodiment, the powder composition comprises legume proteins and / or hydrolysed legume proteins in an amount of at least 25 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, preferably at least 50 wt.%, such as at least 70 wt.%, or at least 90 wt.%. Optionally in this embodiment, the weight ratio between pre-gelatinised starch and native starch in the powder composition is between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. The skilled person understands that a ratio of up to 1 : 0 includes embodiments without native starch. In a preferred embodiment, the powder composition comprises proteins from plant-based food sources, which are, for example, hydrolysed, and proteins from animal-based food sources, which are, for example, hydrolysed, in an amount of at least 5 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 10 wt.%, preferably at least 15 wt.%, such as at least 50 wt.%, at least 70 wt.%, or at least 90 wt.%. The inventors observed that the powder compositions comprising proteins from plant-based food sources and proteins from animal-based food sources exhibit good powder characteristics leading to good powder handling. Optionally in this embodiment, the weight ratio between pre-gelatinised starch and native starch in the powder composition is between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1 In an embodiment, the powder composition comprises animal protein and / or hydrolysed animal protein, e.g., chicken meal and hydrolysed chicken meal, in an amount of at least 25 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, preferably at least 50 wt.%, such as at least 70 wt.% or at least 90 wt.%. Optionally in this embodiment, the weight ratio between pre-gelatinised starch and native starch in the powder composition is between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1, for example, at most 1 : 3. In an embodiment, the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch. Herein, native starch broadly includes starches that are not pre-gelatinised. Pre-gelatinised starch originates from native starch which is subjected to a pre-gelatinisation process during which molecular orders within starch granules collapse or become disrupted. Collapse or disruption of molecular orders within starch granules is manifested in irreversible changes in properties, such as granular swelling (e.g., in cold water), native crystallite melting (decrease of crystalline regions of the starch granules as can be evidenced by DSC, XRD, or NMR), loss of birefringence, and starch solubilisation. Such pre-gelatinised starches are able to swell in cold water (and are able to leach solubles) without cooking and develop viscosity immediately (instant starches), in contrast to native starches (see e.g., US 2010 / 0330369 A1, incorporated herein by reference). Preferably, the amount of starch in total (both pre-gelatinised and native starch) is at least 10 wt.% of the powder composition, for instance at least 30 wt.%, or at least 50 wt.%. In an example embodiment, the native starch is selected from the group consisting of cereal starches, tuber starches, pulse starches, and combinations thereof. For example, the native starch is selected from the group consisting of wheat starch, maize starch, potato starch, rice starch, barley starch, rye starch, triticale starch, sorghum starch, cassava starch, tapioca starch, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the native starch is selected from the group consisting of wheat starch, maize starch, and combinations thereof. In an example embodiment, the pre-gelatinised starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinised cereal starches, pre-gelatinised tuber starches, pre-gelatinised pulse starches, and combinations thereof. For example, the pre-gelatinised starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinised wheat starch, pre-gelatinised maize starch, pre-gelatinised potato starch, pre-gelatinised rice starch, pre-gelatinised barley starch, pre-gelatinised rye starch, pre-gelatinised triticale starch, pre-gelatinised sorghum starch, pre-gelatinised cassava starch, pre-gelatinised tapioca starch, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the pre-gelatinised starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinised wheat starch, pre-gelatinised maize starch, and combinations thereof. The native starch and pre-gelatinised starch may be of the same or different type of plant source. Preferably, the weight ratio between the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. The inventors unexpectedly observed that the powder compositions comprising pre-gelatinised starch, optionally in combination with native starch, exhibit improved powder characteristics, such as reduced lumpiness, reduced stickiness, reduced coarseness of the compositions, compared to the compositions comprising native starch alone. Various advantages are demonstrated in Examples A-1-5, in particular in Examples A-4 and A-4C. These improved powder properties, in turn, led to improved powder handling, e.g., formation of more uniform powder bed, and wettability. Additionally, the inventors observed that when the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, the consolidation of the powder composition is significantly improved. In particular, these powder compositions exhibited improved hydration properties, handling and retrieval of the edible objects, as well as their reduced stickiness and significantly reduced warping. Pre-gelatinised starches are typically prepared by thermal process, chemical processes, or mechanical processes. The particular process employed, strongly affects the physical properties of the pre-gelatinised starches, in particular wettability, dispersibility, and peak viscosity in cold water. Thermal processes are widely used, as heat causes the conversion of crystalline regions into amorphous region, thereby promoting the penetration of water and swelling of the granules. Typical thermal processes to affect gelatinisation include spray-cooking, roll-drying or drum-drying, extrusion, and other heating / drying processes (see, e.g., US 2010 / 0330369 A1, US 3,607,394 A, and US 5,131,953 A, incorporated herein by reference). In an embodiment, pre-gelatinisation of starch, for example, comprises thermal treating of starch in the presence of water to obtain a pre-gelatinised starch slurry, and drying the pre-gelatinised starch slurry to obtain pre-gelatinised starch powder. In an optional embodiment, the inventive method also includes the preparation of pre-gelatinised starch in this way. In an embodiment of the preparation method, starch is thermally treated in the presence of liquid water for at least 1 minute, such as at least 3 minutes, at least 5 minutes, at least 10 minutes, or at least 15 minutes, preferably less than 60 minutes. Preferably, the thermal treatment of starch is carried out at a temperature above 50 ºC, such as above 60 ºC, above 70 ºC, or above 80 ºC, preferably at a temperature below 100 ºC. The treatment is preferably carried out in excess water, e.g., 40 wt.% or more of water by total weight of starch and water, such as 50 wt.% or more, 60 wt.% or more, 70 wt.% or more, or 80 wt.% or more. In an embodiment, drying of the pre-gelatinised starch comprises spray drying, extrusion and / or drum drying. Optionally, the pre-gelatinisation of starch further comprises a size reduction step, e.g., milling or grinding. Optionally, the method further comprises sieving. Thermal treating starch in the presence of water breaks at least part of intermolecular bonds within the starch molecules leading to reduced crystallinity of the pre-gelatinised starch, which can be determined using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) by the absence of a starch gelatinisation enthalpy. Preferably, in excess water, e.g., 40 wt.% or more of water by total weight of starch and water, such as 50 wt.% or more, 60 wt.% or more, 70 wt.% or more, or 80 wt.% or more, the pre-gelatinised starch has no or no noticeable peak in DSC thermogram between 20 ºC and 100 ºC, in particular between 60 ºC and 90 ºC. No noticeable peak is, e.g., no peak in DSC thermogram between 20 ºC and 100 ºC, in particular between 60 ºC and 90 ºC, with ΔH below 0.1 J / g, in excess water. Preferably, in excess water, e.g., 40 wt.% or more of water by total weight of starch and water, such as 50 wt.% or more, 60 wt.% or more, 70 wt.% or more, or 80 wt.% or more, the native starch in the powder composition has a peak in DSC between 20 ºC and 100 ºC; in particular, an endothermic peak. Preferably, in excess water, e.g., 40 wt.% or more of water by total weight of starch and water, such as 50 wt.% or more, 60 wt.% or more, 70 wt.% or more, or 80 wt.% or more, the native starch used in the powder composition exhibits an endothermic DSC peak between 60 ºC and 90 ºC, more preferably with ΔH above 0.5 J / g. Pre-gelatinised starch is also characterised by a reduced crystallinity compared to native starch or even by a lack of crystallinity. Depending on the method used and the specific process parameters employed, the produced pre-gelatinised starches may have lost or maintained their granular structure. The non-granular pre-gelatinised starches, typically prepared by roll-drying, drum-drying, and extrusion are widely used in various technical fields (see, e.g., US 2010 / 0330369 A1, US 3,607,394 A, and US 5,131,953 A, incorporated herein by reference). For some applications, however, granular pre-gelatinised starches are preferentially used because the intact granular structure imparts certain properties, such as improved texture. These granular pre-gelatinised starches may be prepared by, for example, specific spray-cooking processes, which cause swelling and pre-gelatinisation while preventing destruction of the granule shape, or heating in aqueous organic solvents, such as alcohol-water mixtures, followed by drying (see, e.g., US 2010 / 0330369 A1, US 4,465,702 A, and US 5,037,929 A, incorporated herein by reference). Suitably, the powder composition comprises an amount of at least 10 wt.% of starch in total (pre-gelatinised and optionally native starch) and an amount of at least 10 wt.% of proteins by total weight of the powder composition. In particular, the amount of starch in total may be at least 20 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 60 wt.%, or at least 70 wt.%, and the amount of proteins may be at least 10 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, or at least 60 wt.%. In this embodiment, preferably, proteins are of one or more components selected from the group consisting of pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, hydrolysed protein, animal meals, hydrolysed animal organ meat, and animal organ meat. More preferably, the powder composition comprises at least 10 wt.% by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, or even at least 25 wt.%, such as at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, or at least 50 wt.%, in total of proteins selected from the group consisting of corn gluten, wheat gluten, chicken meal, hydrolysed chicken meal, hydrolysed chicken organ meat, and pea protein. The powder composition may comprise additional protein sources. In this embodiment, preferably, the weight ratio between the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. In a preferred embodiment, the first liquid comprises water and another component. Preferably, the other component is an organic compound, preferably an organic compound having one or more hydroxy groups. In particular, the first liquid and the other component may be edible. The first liquid typically comprises one or more of such other components. For example, the other component has an LD50 (median lethal dose) value above 3000 mg / kg in human, domestic cat and / or domestic dog. For example, the other component is a food additive selected from a group of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) substances approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), e.g., in the version of 10 October 2023. For example, the organic compound is a polyol, such as a diol or triol. Preferably, the organic compound is an alcohol or a sugar, more preferably a water-soluble alcohol and / or a sugar exhibiting solubility in the first liquid of 1 g / L or more, more preferably 10 g / L or more, at 25 ºC, such as 20 g / L or more or 30 g / L or more, for example, 35 g / L or more, 70 g / L or more, or 100 g / L or more, and / or, for example, up to 500 g / L, such as 200-450 g / L, preferably 300-400 g / L, such as about 350 g / L. Preferably, the organic compound has at least two hydroxy groups attached to different carbon atoms. Preferably, one or more organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of amino acids, more preferably alpha-amino acids, aliphatic alcohols, more preferably C1-C8 alcohols, aliphatic diols, more preferably C1-C8 diols, aliphatic triols, more preferably C2-C8 triols, monosaccharides, disaccharides, hydrogenated monosaccharides, and partially hydrogenated disaccharides. Preferably the first liquid comprises max. 90 wt.% water, preferably at least 50 wt.% water, and at least 3 wt.% of one or more organic compounds in total, such as at least 5 wt.%, at least 7 wt.%, typically at least 10 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.% of one or more glycerol compounds and / or one or more sugars in total, e.g., at least 20 wt.% and / or up to 50 wt.% of such compounds in total, by total weight of the first liquid. The sugar compounds are preferably monosaccharides, disaccharides, hydrogenated monosaccharides, or partially hydrogenated disaccharides. Preferably, monosaccharides, disaccharides, hydrogenated monosaccharides, partially hydrogenated disaccharides are selected from the group consisting of arabitol, cellobiose, erythritol, fructose, fucitol, fucose, galactitol, galactosamine, galactose, glucosamine, glucose, glucuronic acid, glycerol, iditol, idose, inositol, isomalt, isomaltose, isosorbide, lactitol, lactose, maltitol, maltose, mannitol, mannose, neuraminic acid, sialic acid, sorbitan, sorbitol, sucrose, trehalose, xylitol, xylose, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the first liquid has a dynamic viscosity of up to 10 mPa•s, such as in the range of 0.5-10 mPa•s, for example, 0.5-5 mPa•s, 1-3.5 mPa•s, or 1.5-2.5 mPa•s, as e.g., determined according to ASTM D2196-10 standard method. For example, the first liquid comprises at least 10 wt.% glycerol by total weight of the first liquid, such as at least 20 wt.% or at least 30 wt.%, and / or up to 70 wt.% or up to 60 wt.%. For example, the first liquid comprises at least 10 wt.% sucrose, or at least 20 wt.% or at least 30 wt.% and / or up to 70 wt.% or max. 60 wt.%. It was surprisingly found that such first liquids provide advantages for depowdering of the consolidated object, i.e., the removal of powder particles to obtain a smooth surface and better resolution of the object, compared to water used as the first liquid. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that such first liquid advantageously exhibits a viscosity and surface tension advantageously providing for good consolidation of the edible object. Moreover, the texture and the structure, e.g., product volume and inner porosity, of the edible object can be tuned by using such first liquids. Preferably, the organic compound having one or more hydroxy groups is present in the powder parts when those parts are subjected to the irradiation step. Suitably, the first liquid comprising water and a hydroxy group-containing organic compound, e.g., an organic compound having one or more hydroxy group, is deposited at the powder composition comprising at least 10 wt.% of starch in total (pre-gelatinised and optionally native starch) by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 60 wt.%, or at least 70 wt.%, and / or at least 10 wt.% of proteins by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, or at least 60 wt.%. In this embodiment, preferably, proteins are of one or more components selected from the group consisting of pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, hydrolysed protein, animal meals, hydrolysed animal organ meat, and animal organ meat. The powder composition may comprise additional protein sources. In this embodiment, preferably, the mass weight between the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. In a preferred embodiment, the method involves depositing on the powder layer, i.e. a layer of the powder composition, a second liquid comprising lipids. In particular, the second liquid and the lipids may be edible. The first liquid and second liquid are applied as separate liquids on the powder layer, i.e. a layer of the powder composition, e.g., subsequently for any given spot of the powder layer. Preferably, the first liquid and second liquid have different compositions. Preferably, the first liquid has a higher water content than the second liquid. Preferably, the second liquid has a higher lipid content than the first liquid. For instance, the first liquid comprises less than 10 wt.% lipids and more than 50 wt.% water, based on the total weight of the first liquid. For instance, the second liquid comprises more than 50 wt.% lipids and less than 10 wt.% water, based on the total weight of the second liquid. Suitably, the second liquid substantially consists of lipids, e.g., the second liquid contains at least 80 wt.% of lipids based on the total weight of the second liquid, or at least 90 wt.% of lipids, or at least 95 wt.% of lipids. In a preferred embodiment, step ii) involves, in subsequent order, depositing the second liquid on a part of the powder layer, thereafter, for at least a part of the powder layer, deposition the first liquid on a part of the powder layer. In an embodiment, the powder layer comprises parts on which both the first liquid and the second liquid are applied, in particular parts on which first the second liquid is applied and thereafter the first liquid. Alternatively or in addition, the powder layer comprises parts on which both the first liquid and the second liquid are applied, in particular parts on which first the second liquid is applied and thereafter the first liquid. Alternatively or in addition, the first liquid and the second liquid are applied on different parts of the powder layer, preferably the second liquid is applied first and thereafter the first liquid or the first liquid is applied first and thereafter the second liquid. In an embodiment, at least a part of or the entire powder layer comprising the first liquid and the second liquid is irradiated, i.e., the parts of the powder comprising the first liquid and / or the second liquid deposited onto the powder is irradiated. Alternatively or in addition, a part of the powder layer with the deposited first liquid is selectively irradiated, e.g., at least partially or entirely, i.e., a part of the powder layer with the deposited second liquid is preferably not irradiated. Selectively irradiating the part of the powder layer with the deposited first liquid advantageously prevents acrylamide formation due to thermal degradation of the second liquid comprising lipids. The second liquid is applied in this preferred embodiment to one or more powder layers but not necessarily to all powder layers. Different types of second liquid can be used in one or more powder layers. The second liquid comprises lipids that are liquid at a temperature below 24 ºC, preferably at a temperature in the range of 18-22 ºC, and / or lipids that are solid at 25 ºC, and is preferably deposited at a temperature higher than 25 ºC. The second liquid comprises one or more unsaturated lipids and / or one or more saturated lipids, in particular unsaturated, respectively, one or more saturated fats (esters of fatty acids). The method may comprise preheating the second liquid to a temperature above the melting point of the saturated fat or lipid, preferably to a temperature that lowers the viscosity in such a way that droplet formation is favourable. For example, the temperature may be 10 ºC or more, such as 20 ºC or more, and / or 100 ºC or less, such as 90 ºC or less, in particular 30-80 ºC. The unit used for depositing the second liquid and the powder bed holder are preferably movable with respect to each other in the plane parallel to the powder layer surface and are preferably moved in this plane during the deposition. In particular, during the deposition, at least parts of the powder layer may receive both the first liquid and the second liquid, prior to the irradiation step. Preferably, at least parts of the powder layer receive the second liquid before the first liquid and are subjected to irradiation to form a consolidated layer. Preferably, the second liquid is deposited on at least one or more powder layers which are subsequently treated with irradiation. Alternatively or in addition, at least one or more powder layers are treated with irradiation and subsequently the second liquid is deposited on top. For the avoidance of doubt, in any embodiment of the invention, the powder layer optionally contains lipid components, such as fats (solid lipids), e.g., lipids that are solid at the temperature of the powder layer (e.g., at 25 ºC). The powder layer may also comprise encapsulated lipid particles wherein liquid lipid is encapsulated in a shell in individual particles. In a further possible embodiment, the first liquid is applied before the second liquid, and the irradiation step is carried out after both the first liquid and second liquid are applied. Suitably, the first liquid, preferably water, and the second liquid comprising lipids are deposited on the layer of a powder composition comprising at least 10 wt.% of starch in total (pre-gelatinised and optionally native starch) by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 60 wt.%, or at least 70 wt.%, and / or at least 10 wt.% of proteins by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, or at least 60 wt.%. In this embodiment, preferably, proteins are of one or more components selected from the group consisting of pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, hydrolysed protein, animal meals, hydrolysed animal organ meat, and animal organ meat. The powder composition may comprise additional protein sources. In this embodiment, preferably, the weight ratio between the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. Suitably, the first liquid, preferably comprising water and an organic compound having one or more hydroxy groups and the second liquid comprising lipids are deposited on the powder composition comprising at least 10 wt.% of starch in total (both pre-gelatinised and native starch) by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 60 wt.%, or at least 70 wt.%, and / or at least 10 wt.% of proteins by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, or at least 60 wt.%. In this embodiment, preferably, proteins are of one or more components selected from the group consisting of pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, hydrolysed protein, animal meals, hydrolysed animal organ meat, and animal organ meat. The powder composition may comprise additional protein sources. In this embodiment, preferably, the weight ratio between the pre-gelatinised starch and the native starch in the powder composition ranges between 1 : 10 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 10 and 10 : 1, more preferably between 1 : 7 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 7 and 7 : 1, or between 1 : 5 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1, or between 1 : 3 and 1 : 0, such as between 1 : 3 and 3 : 1. Deposition the second liquid on the parts that are, thereafter, subjected to irradiation, provides the advantage of good uptake of the lipids in the consolidated parts of the powder layer. The second liquid, in particular the lipid component thereof, is preferably applied on the powder layer in a weight ratio of 1 : 1 to 1 : 20 relative to the first liquid, in particular relative to the amount of water in the first liquid. The second liquid, in particular the lipid component thereof, is preferably applied on the powder layer in a weight ratio of about 1 : 2 or more and / or 1 : 18 or less to the first liquid, in particular its water content, for instance, 1 : 3 or more, such as 1 : 4 or more or 1 : 5 or more, and / or 1 : 15 or less, such as 1 : 13 or less or 1 : 11 or less. For example, the second liquid, in particular its lipid component, is applied on the powder layer in a weight ratio of 1 : 3 to 1 : 12 to the first liquid, in particular its water content. Two or more types of second liquid can be used in a single layer or in multiple layers. Preferably, the fat / lipid content of the produced edible object (e.g., after removal of loose powder and depowdering) is at least 2 wt.%, as determined by Soxhlet extraction, e.g., using petroleum ether as a solvent, preferably after acid hydrolysis of the sample, such as 5 wt.% or more, for example, 8 wt.% or more. The use of the second liquid is particularly advantageous for the preparation of pet food, in particular dry pet food, more in particular for cats and dogs. Especially, the second liquid is advantageous to achieve high fat contents that are suitable to prepare full-nutrition pet food. The water content of the consolidated object before post-processing is preferably less than 70 wt.% as determined by thermogravimetric methods, for instance, 60 wt.% or less, such as 50 wt.% or less, and / or 10 wt.% or more, such as 20 wt.% or more, for example, 20-60 wt.% or 30-50 wt.%. The water content of the consolidated object after being subjected to a treatment involving heating, i.e., the final product, is preferably less than 10 wt.% by total weight of the final product, such as less than 7 wt.%, less than 6 wt.%, or less than 5 wt.%, as determined by thermogravimetric methods. In another preferred embodiment, the water content of the consolidated object after being subjected to a treatment involving heating, i.e., the final product, is 10 wt.% or more by total weight of the final product, such as 15 wt.% or more or 20 wt.% or more, for example, 15-25 wt.%, as determined by thermogravimetric methods. Alternatively or in addition to the water content, the edible object may have a water activity of between 0 and 1. The water activity is a ratio between the vapour pressure in the object, when in an undisturbed balance with the surrounding (air) media, and the vapour pressure of distilled water under identical conditions. Typically, water activity is a measurement of the availability of water for biological reactions, e.g., determining the ability of microorganisms to grow. In particular, the water activity of the edible object may be 1.0 or less, such as 0.95 or less, 0.85 or less, or 0.75 or less, and / or 0.05 or more, such as 0.10 or more or 0.15 or more. Preferably, the water activity is 0.60 or less, such as 0.50 or less or 0.40 or less, e.g., in the range 0.05-0.50 or 0.10-0.40. In another preferred embodiment, the edible object has a water activity of at least 0.50, such as 0.60 or more or 0.70 or more, and / or 1.0 or less, such as 0.90 or less or 0.80 or less, for example, 0.55-0.95 or 0.65-0.85. Existing methods for the preparation of (dry) pet food (in particular dog food) are typically based on extrusion cooking. For instance, Quang, Extrusion Processing – Effects on Dry Canine Diets, 2008, describes a method that involves mixing, pre-conditioning, extrusion, and drying of the extrudate wherein fat and oil-based suspensions are used as a coating and fat is applied to the hot, dried extrudate. It is mentioned that fat must be absorbed as rapidly and completely as possible before cooling. In practice, such processes based on extrusion and fat coating have various disadvantages. The present embodiment radically departs from the existing extrusion-based method of preparing high-fat dry pet food by using instead the layer-by-layer production with powder layers, deposition of first liquid and second liquid, and irradiation to achieve consolidation. The invention also pertains to a food product, preferably pet food or human food, comprising the object obtainable by the inventive method. All preferences and advantages for the manufacturing method apply equally for the object obtainable by the method. Advantageously, the inventive food product may have a composition which is not obtainable by conventional manufacturing methods, e.g., extrusion, in particular food product with high fat content, uniform and / or controllable distribution of the fat within the object. The food product may advantageously be prepared using one or more side stream products (also referred to as by-products or residual streams) as source material for one or more of its components. Such sidestream products may be derived, for example, from agricultural, food processing, or industrial activities. Such sidestreams are often characterized by limited or non-functional technological properties for food product production. The use of side streams contributes to a more sustainable production process and enables valorisation of materials that would otherwise be discarded. The inventive method is particularly suitable for processing such compositionally variable streams, thereby enabling their incorporation into additive manufactured food products and edible objects. By way of example, Example D-1 demonstrates the obtaining of an object using cookie crumbs as a side stream. The food product, in particular for human consumption, i.e., human food, may be a snack, such as a savoury snack; a confectionery product; a bakery product; a specialised nutrition product, e.g., specialised nutrition for infants, children, or elderly, medical nutrition, sports nutrition; or the like. Preferably, the food product comprises 5 wt.% or more of fat and / or lipids, such as 10 wt.% or more, 15 wt.% or more, 20 wt.% or more, or 25 wt.% or more. In an embodiment, fat and / or lipids are selectively deposited within the structure of an object, i.e., there are parts of an object with and without fats and / or lipids. Accordingly, the presence of the fats influences local texture of the object and allows for obtaining the object with different textures within one object, i.e., crispy and hard texture in one part and soft and gummy texture in the other part. Furthermore, the surface of the manufactured object, as manufactured and optionally after baking, exhibits no greasy appearance and feel, indicating good lipid retention within the structure of the product. Similarly, the texture can be tuned by selectively applying two or more types of the first liquid with different composition, preferably when at least one of the first liquids comprises an aqueous solution of at least 10 wt.% of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid, as demonstrated in Example B-2. Furthermore, the use of the first liquid comprising at least 10 wt.% of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid advantageously allows for obtaining the printed object with improved resolution and depowdering compared to the use of water as the first liquid. Additionally, the use of such first liquid may allow for obtaining the object with sweet taste, as demonstrated in Examples B-3 and B-4. Alternatively or in addition, the food product may comprise at least 20 wt.% of starch (pre-gelatinised and optionally native starch) by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, at least 60 wt.%, or at least 70 wt.%, and at least 10 wt.% of protein by total weight of the powder composition, such as at least 20 wt.%, at least 30 wt.%, at least 40 wt.%, at least 50 wt.%, or at least 60 wt.%. As shown in Examples A-4 and A-4C, obtaining the object with high protein content was not possible using additive manufacturing when only native starch was used. Thereby the use of the powder composition comprising pre-gelatinised starch advantageously allows for extending the scope of suitable components of the powder by improving overall wetting and flowability of the powder composition. In an embodiment, the food product further comprises starch, preferably pre-gelatinised, and / or protein. In another embodiment, the food product comprises pre-gelatinised starch, and preferably protein. Advantageously, such object has high printing resolution, i.e., the layers of the object are distinctive, well defined, and accurately correspond with their design. The invention also pertains to the uses of pre-gelatinised starch, and optionally native starch; one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups; or lipids, in the inventive method. All preferences and advantages for the manufacturing method apply equally for the aforementioned uses in the method. The invention has been described by reference to various embodiments, and methods. A skilled person understands that features of various embodiments and methods can be combined with each other. The use of the terms "a", "an", "the", and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated in this disclosure or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising, "having, "including", and "containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to") unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values in this disclosure are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated in this disclosure, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited in this disclosure. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided in this disclosure, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. For the purpose of the description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Also, all ranges include any combination of the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated in this disclosure. When referring to a noun in the singular, the plural is meant to be included, or it follows from the context that it should refer to the singular only. Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variation of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject-matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art. For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described. The term "edible" indicates a preference, alternatively the liquids, powder, and object can be referred to without said predicate. Edible, as used herein, may indicate suitable for consumption by humans and / or animals, such as pet animals. Generally, liquid compositions, e.g., the first liquid and the second liquid, and solid and semi-solid compositions, e.g., the edible powder, the consolidated object, can be edible. Examples The invention will now be further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples. These examples do not limit the invention and do not limit the claims. Materials: native wheat starch, pre-gelatinised maize starch, wheat flour, beta glucan fibre, pea protein isolate (about 80 wt.% protein), vital wheat gluten, chicken meal, chicken heart and liver hydrolysate, medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT oil), encapsulated MCT oil powder, palm oil powder (melting point at 58 °C), cellulose (fibre), minerals, vitamins mix, micronutrients, salt, water (Milli-Q®), ethanol, glycerol, sucrose, maltitol, cookie crumbs, silicate, magnesium stearate, calcium caseinate, whey protein isolate. Methods: Additive manufacturing protocol: The printability by additive manufacturing of powders varying in composition was studied. The system used for additive manufacturing was equipped with an XYZ-moving powder bed holder, a powder dispensing system, a counter rotating powder compacting roller, three valves for deposition of three different fluids, and an IR laser (12 W, wavelength 10.6 µm, spot diameter of 0.5 mm). Powder bed formation: A composition was mixed to obtain a homogeneous powder mixture. The powder mixture was deposited into powder bed holder, and then flattened and compacted by means of a counter rotating roller (350 rpm, platform speed 500 mm / min). For each layer, an additional powder layer height of 0.77 mm was applied using the same procedure. The thickness of the first layer was 2.8 mm. Liquid deposition: The first liquid was deposited onto the powder bed by means of a valve (nozzle diameter D=178 μm) to obtain a stream of droplets. The droplets of the first liquid were deposited on the intended area of the powder, in a pattern predefined in instructions for printing the object. The second liquid was deposited in the same manner. Irradiation: After applying the first liquid on one layer of the object, the area of the liquid was subjected to IR radiation to form a consolidated part embedded in an untreated powder. The area of the liquid was subjected to IR radiation in a pattern using the 12 W IR laser at writing speed of 50 mm / s and 32% duty cycle (actual laser output of 4.8 W), or 16% duty cycle (actual laser output of about 2 W) regarding Examples D and E . With these settings the area of the object was irradiated. The area of the liquid was irradiated with a hatched line pattern with a line distance corresponding to the distance between the lines of the deposited liquid. Additional layers: Each layer was prepared by depositing the powder mixture and forming the powder bed, deposing the first liquid, and irradiating the area of the first liquid. Depowdering and product retrieval: After depositing and consolidation of the last layer, the powder bed including the printed object embedded in the powder was removed from the additive manufacturing system and transferred to a sieve with 3 mm mesh, carefully shaken and tapped manually. The vibrations caused the non-consolidated powder to fall through the sieve, and the object was retrieved. The remaining non-consolidated powder was removed from the object by first subjecting the object to flow of compressed air and subsequently, when needed, removing the remaining adhering powder mechanically, using a brush. Post-processing: Optionally, the printed depowdered products were oven- dried at 50 °C, with or without prior baking by means of an air fryer for 12 minutes at 140 °C. Characterisation: Particle size: The particle size of the powder was determined using Static light scattering (SLS), based on the particle size distribution curve. Dx(10) means that 10% of the sample’s population has a diameter smaller than or equal to Dx(10) value, Dx(50) (median size) means that 50% of the sample has a diameter smaller than or equal to Dx(50) value, and Dx(90) means that 90% of the sample has a diameter smaller than or equal to Dx(90) value. Texture Analysis: A compression test was performed with a Stable Micro Systems Texture Analyser with a flat compression probe at test speed of 1 mm / s, and strain 30%. Or, regarding Example E, a double compression test was performed at test speed 1 mm / s, strain 30%, and relaxation time 5s between the first and second compression cycle. Inner structure: Inner structure of the manufactured object, including its volume and porosity, was determined using X-ray tomography. Total fat content: Analysis of the total fat content was performed using Soxhlet extraction. Samples were boiled in hydrochloric acid using a Hydrotherm automated acid hydrolysis system, followed by acid-free washing and drying. The fat was then extracted with petroleum ether using a Soxtherm Soxhlet extraction system. After evaporating the solvent, the residue is dried and weighted. Example A Example A-1 In this example, an object of 18 mm x 18 x mm x 10 mm (width x depth x height) with beams of 3 mm x 3 mm was manufactured (Figure 1). Figure 1 shows the retrieved product (A) and the baked product (B). The powder composition used to manufacture the object is specified in Table 1. This powder was easy flowing and had a flow index of 3.93, as determined using a ring shear cell tester ST-XS (4000Pa). The powder had a median particle size Dx(50) of 52 µm (Dx10 size = 14 µm, Dx90 = 153 µm), as determined using Static light scattering (SLS). Milli-Q® water (viscosity: about 1 mPa•s) was used as the first liquid and was deposited using the nozzle as droplets with a weight of 100 µg ± 1 µg. The first liquid was deposited on the intended area of the powder with 2.39 droplets / mm and a line spacing of 0.41 mm, giving 0.57 µL / mm2. Then the first liquid area was irradiated to form the consolidated part. Irradiation improved wetting of the powder and improved the consolidation of the wetted powder based on the visual inspection. The procedure was repeated in each layer until the complete consolidated object was formed. The consolidated object was then retrieved from the untreated powder bed and depowdered. The consolidated object was sufficiently consolidated to withstand gentle squeezing without any damage. Such consolidated object is robust enough to be handled in a mechanised production line. The dimensions of the consolidated object were substantially the same as the design dimensions. Accordingly, the consolidated product can be produced with a good resolution. The consolidated object was then baked prior to the compression test. Upon compression, the baked object was broken in a jagged fracturing pattern with an average maximum force of the main fracture peak of 96.7 N and maximum slope of 255 N / mm (Figure 2). The fracturing properties demonstrate that the baked object has a desirable hard and crunchy texture. In a comparative example A-1C, following the procedure of Example A-1 except irradiating the layers of an object, the manufactured object was weak and easy to damage and deform. Table 1: Powder composition (Examples A-1 and A-1C). Component Weight percent [%]Native wheat starch 30.25Pre-gelatinised maize starch 30.25Pea protein isolate 28Cellulose (fibre) 7.5Balance micronutrients, vitamins and minerals 4.0Example A-2 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that the first liquid (Milli-Q® water) was deposited onto the powder in different amounts due to varying deposition settings summarised in Table 2. All manufactured objects were well consolidated, and easy to retrieve and depowdered, and had a good product resolution. The inventors surprisingly observed that the amount of the first liquid deposited onto the powder bed influences inner structure of the object, as determined by X-ray tomography. In particular, object volume and porosity increased as a function of the first liquid amount deposited per mm2in the consolidated part, as demonstrated in Table 2 and visualised in Figure 3. Accordingly, the amount of deposited first liquid per mm2influences the texture of the object as well. Table 2: Liquid deposition settings and resulting inner structure characteristic parameters of the object (Example A-2).ObjectDeposition settings Inner structureA droplets deposition per mm:object volume: 1086 mm32.00 droplets / mm, object porosity: 26.6% line spacing: 0.49 mm, deposited amount per mm2: 0.40 µL / mm2B droplets deposition per mm:object volume: 1434 mm32.39 droplets / mm, object porosity: 42.7% line spacing: 0.41 mm, deposited amount per mm2: 0.57 µL / mm2C droplets deposition per mm:object volume: 1728 mm32.70 droplets / mm, object porosity: 51.9% line spacing: 0.37 mm, deposited amount per mm2: 0.76 µL / mm2Example A-3 The powder composition of Example A-1 was followed, with the difference being that the pea protein isolate is replaced by wheat gluten. The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that the untreated powder after depowdering was collected and reused repeatedly to simulate an industrial production line. After each production cycle, the treated powder was sieved with a 400 μm mesh size sieve and mixed with a portion of fresh and unused ‘virgin’ powder to compensate for the amount of powder that was consumed during the production. Typically in the setup, approximately 18 g of the powder was consumed during each production cycle and the mass of the powder was adjusted with the unused powder to 240 g. After 9 production cycles, the powder was still suitable for the additive manufacturing process. Surprisingly, the powder bed evenness improved and quality of the printed objects remained good when the recycled powder was used, indicating that using the treated powder mixed with virgin powder is advantageous. Accordingly, the inventive process, as shown for instance in Example A-3, allows for recycling of the powder, which is highly desirable for the industrial implementation of the process due to the significant reduction of the waste by-products. Example A-4 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that each of the powders had a composition summarised in Table 3 and the composition of chicken heart and liver hydrolysate was printed at a liquid density of 0.31 µL / mm2(deposition settings: 1.77 droplets / mm, line spacing of 0.56 mm). Depending on the properties of the components in the formulation, such as the type of protein, the weight ratio of native starch to pre-gelatinised starch was adjusted to improve the flowability and wettability of the edible powders. The inventors surprisingly observed that the powder compositions comprising either plant-based or animal proteins were suitable for additive manufacturing when the compositions comprise the pre-gelatinised starch. When no pre-gelatinised starch was present in the composition comprising either plant-based or animal proteins, the composition was not printable, as seen in the comparative example A-4C.

[0002] Table 3: Powder compositions with optimised starch compositions depending on the protein type (Example A-4). Component Weight percent [%]Pea Vital wheat Chicken Chicken heart protein gluten meal and liver hydrolysate Native wheat30.25 30.25 0 0starch Pre-gelatinised30.25 30.25 60.5 60.5maize starch Protein (various28 28 28 28sources) Cellulose (fibre) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5Balance4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0micronutrients, vitamins and minerals Printableyes yes yes yescomposition Comparative example A-4C The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that each of the powders had a composition summarised in Table 4. The compositions of Table 4 are similar to the compositions of Table 3, with a difference being that in the compositions of Table 4 the pre-gelatinised starch was substituted with the native starch. These powders were cohesive and their flowability did not allow for creating a well-packed powder bed. The layers of the powder beds obtained with these compositions were incomplete, i.e., had holes, gaps, and or cracks in the powder layer. Furthermore, the first liquid droplets deposited on the powder bed were not well absorbed by these powders. Therefore, these compositions did not exhibit sufficient wettability. Accordingly, none of these compositions was suitable for additive manufacturing. Table 4: Powder compositions with various protein sources (Comparative Example A-4C).Component Weight percent [%]Pea protein Vital wheatChicken Chicken gluten meal heart and liver hydrolysateNative wheat starch 60.5 60.5 60.5 60.5Protein (various sources) 28 28 28 28Cellulose (fibre) 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5Balance micronutrients,4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0vitamins and mineralsPrintable composition no no no noExample A-5 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that the powders had a composition summarised in Table 5, i.e., it comprised lipids (encapsulated MCT oil powder, or palm oil powder). The obtained objects were well consolidated, easily retrieved and depowdered and had a good product resolution, with no notable differences compared to the object manufactured in Example A-1. The manufactured objects had a total fat content of 15% after baking, showing the high retention of fat, which is highly desirable. The surface of the manufactured objects after baking and cooling had no greasy appearance, and no fat droplets were noticeable on the baking mat below the objects after baking. The manufactured objects were not greasy by manual touch, demonstrating that lipids were well retained within the product structure, which is highly desirable. Table 5: Powder compositions including lipids (Example A-5).Component Weight percent [%] Weight percent[%]Native wheat starch 8.8 15.59Pre-gelatinised maize starch 30.2 30.25Vital wheat gluten 28 28Encapsulated MCT oil powder 21.5Palm oil powder 14.66Cellulose (fibre) 7.5 7.5Balance micronutrients, vitamins and minerals 4.0 4.0 Example B Example B-1 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that the first liquid used in the manufacturing of each specimen was different. The compositions of the first liquids are summarised in Table 6. Each obtained object was well consolidated, was easily retrieved and depowdered and had a high product resolution. The inventors surprisingly noticed that the ease of depowdering of the consolidated object was significantly improved when the liquids C, D, and E were used, compared to the liquids A and B. In particular, the objects manufactured using the liquids C, D, and E did not require brushing; subjecting the object to compressed air flow was sufficient to remove substantially all untreated powder from the surface of the object. Furthermore, the objects manufactured using the liquids C, D, and E had sharper edges, higher resolution, and sharper corners compared to the objects manufactured using the liquids A and B, which had dusty surfaces even after brushing, as seen in Figure 4. Notwithstanding, object B had sharper edges than object A and higher printing resolution. Best results were obtained with the liquid E. Table 6: First liquid compositions (Example B-1).Liquid Composition ViscosityA Water approx.1 mPa•sB Water 70 wt.%,approx. Ethanol 30 wt.% 2 mPa•sC Water 50 wt.%,approx. Glycerol 50 wt.% 6 mPa•sD Water 60 wt.%,approx. Sucrose 40 wt.% 6 mPa•sE Water 53 wt.%,approx. Maltitol 20 wt.%, 6 mPa•s Glycerol 20 wt.%, Ethanol 7 wt.% The inner structure and texture of the objects after baking was determined using X-ray tomography and compression test. The results are shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 and summarised in Table 7. Notably, a variety of different product textures and structures could be obtained depending on the composition of the first liquid deposited onto the powders having the same composition. The results shown in Figure 6 demonstrate a wide variety of mechanical responses to compression forces. The results show that the product inner structure and porosity, and as a consequence the mechanical fracture properties and textural responses, could be controlled by varying the type of liquid applied during the manufacturing of the object. In particular, the objects obtained using the liquids B and C were respectively hard (B) or gummy and soft (C), while objects obtained using the liquids A and D were hard and crunchy. Table 7: X-ray tomography analysis of the inner structure of the objects obtained using the liquids A, B, C, D (Example B-1).Liquid Inner structureA object volume: 1322 mm3object porosity: 38.0%B object volume: 1318 mm3object porosity: 16.9% C object volume: 1162 mm3object porosity: 16.1%D object volume: 1172 mm3object porosity: 19.3% Example B-2 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a different object design having dimensions 82 mm x 54 mm x 10 mm (Figure 7) using two different first liquids. One of the first liquids comprising 40% glycerol, 60% water, and red colourant was deposited as a single line with 2.70 droplets / mm on the perimeter of the object (red line), translating to a deposited amount of liquid per mm2of 0.69 µL / mm2. Water with blue colourant was used as the other first liquid and it was deposited into an infill of the object with 2.70 droplets / mm and a line spacing of 0.37 mm, which equals to deposited amount of liquid per mm2of 0.76 µL / mm2. The inventors observed that the first liquid comprising glycerol improved depowdering of the perimeter of the object compared to water used as the liquid at the infill, as shown in Figure 7. Some non-consolidated powder was present at the infill surface of the object (blue), while the perimeter of the object is relatively clean (red) only after shaking off the excess of the powder. Accordingly, the bulk inner structure and texture of the entire object can be adjusted by selecting one type of the liquid applied inside the perimeter of the object and another type of the liquid applied onto the perimeter line to ensure improved depowdering. Example B-3 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed to manufacture a food product for human consumption, with differences in the powder composition (a mixture of wheat flour (80 parts by weight), beta glucan (20 parts by weight) and salt (1 part by weight)) and in the composition of the first liquid (60% water, 40% sucrose). The obtained object was well consolidated, was easily retrieved and depowdered and had a high product resolution. The inventors surprisingly noticed that the ease of depowdering of the consolidated object was comparable with the object obtained using the liquid E of Example B-1, i.e., is extremely improved compared to, e.g., water. Baked objects prepared according to the procedure of Example B-3 had particularly good sensory properties, they had a hard, brittle, crunchy bite and had sweet taste and baked flavour and melted or dissolved well during mastication. Example B-4 The procedure of Example B-3 was followed to manufacture a food product for human consumption, with a difference being that the wheat flour was thermally treated. In particular, the wheat flour was sealed air-tight in a thermostable plastic bag and kept in an oven at 110 ºC for 2 hours. The printing results of the thermally treated flour were highly similar compared to the untreated flour, but the ease of depowdering was further improved. The inventors believe that the partial gelatinisation or physical modifications occurred during the thermal treatment in the starch fraction of the wheat flour, which in turn resulted in the increased ease of depowdering and improved resolution of the printed product. Example C Example C-1 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with a difference being that the second liquid was used, an MCT oil. The second liquid was deposited using a valve (nozzle diameter D=178 μm) with a pulse time of 0.75 ms and a back pressure of 1.5-2.0 bar in order to obtain droplets with a weight of 70-75 µg. The second liquid was deposited with 0.95 droplets / mm and a line spacing of 1.00 mm, which equals to the deposited amount per mm2of 74-79 nL / mm2and having a droplet volume of 74-79 nL / droplet. The second liquid was deposited onto each layer of the object, except the bottom layer, prior to the deposition of the first liquid. Deposition and irradiation patterns are schematically shown in Figure 8. The manufactured objects were well consolidated, easy to retrieve, easy to depowder, and had a high product resolution, with no notable differences compared to the object obtained in Example A-1. The manufactured objects had a total fat content of 11.1 wt.% after baking. The surface of the manufactured object after baking and cooling had no greasy appearance and no fat droplets were noticeable on the baking mat under the object after baking. The manufactured objects were not greasy by manual touch, demonstrating that lipids were well retained within the product structure, which is highly desirable. Example D Example D-1 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with differences being that the first liquid used in the manufacturing was a 10% sucrose solution, the powder had a composition summarised in Table 8, i.e., it comprised pre-gelatinised starch both as an individual additive and via its inclusion in ground cookie crumbs, and the object was manufactured with beams of 4 mm x 3 mm. The cookie crumbs are a sidestream product from cookie manufacturing, consisting of cuttings that were milled and incorporated into a flowable powder mixture. The three first liquid deposition levels and settings of Example A-2 were used (0.40 µL / mm2, 0.57 µL / mm2, 0.76 µL / mm2). Figure 9 shows the top view (A), side view (B), and cross- section (C) of the baked product obtained with a first liquid deposition level of 0.57 µL / mm2. The manufactured objects were well consolidated, easily retrieved, easy to depowder, and had a high product resolution. The granularity of the powder resulted in a visibly textured manufactured object surface. Notably, the inner structure of the manufactured objects was porous and included cavities (see Figure 9), which surprisingly indicates the manufacture of a genuinely novel product structure and texture, rather than merely bonding crumbs together. The inventors believe this structural feature contributes to the crisp and crunchy texture of the object. Table 8: Powder composition based on food sidestream (Example D-1). Component Weight percent [%]Cookie crumb powder 78.4Pre-gelatinised maize starch 19.6Silicate 1Magnesium stearate 1Example E Example E-1 The procedure of Example A-1 was followed, with differences being that the first liquid used in the manufacturing was either an aqueous solution of 15% amino acid (L-proline), 15% maltitol, 10% ethanol, and 1% colorant, or water, and the object was manufactured with beams of 4 mm x 3 mm. Furthermore, the powder had a composition summarised in Table 9, i.e., it comprised a mixture of proteins and pre-gelatinised starch. The powder had good flowability and hydration properties. The three first liquid deposition levels and settings of Example A-2 were used (0.40 µL / mm2, 0.57 µL / mm2, 0.76 µL / mm2). Figure 10 shows the bottom view of soft edible products obtained using either (A) proline-maltitol-ethanol- colorant in water, or (B) water, with each liquid used at the same deposition level of 0.76 µL / mm2. The manufactured edible objects with the liquid comprising proline-maltitol- ethanol-colorant were well consolidated, easily retrieved, easy to depowder, and had a high product resolution. The manufactured objects with water as the liquid were defined during printing, but poorly consolidated as they remained very soft and deformable and could not be depowdered, as a thick layer of powder adhered strongly to the object. Table 9: Powder composition comprising proteins (Example E-1). Component Weight percent [%]Calcium caseinate 28.8 Whey protein isolate 48.1Pre-gelatinised maize starch 23.1 Example E-2 The procedure of Example E-1 was followed to manufacture a food product using an aqueous solution of 15% amino acid (L-proline), 15% maltitol, 10% ethanol, and 1% colorant, with differences being the first liquid deposition level of 0.57 µL / mm2, and a post-processing drying time of 1.5 hours at 50 °C. The obtained object had a chewy and soft gummy texture. Notably, the texture could be tuned by additional drying in an oven at 50 °C, e.g., for 1 to 3 hours, thereby increasing the object’s firmness. The chewiness of the obtained object was confirmed by sensory evaluation. To quantify the chewiness of the obtained object, it was subjected to an instrumental Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), as shown in Figure 11. The first deformation peak of the first instrumental compression indicates the soft deformability of the edible object, while the second deformation peak shows a nearly identical profile. This suggests that only very limited energy was dissipated due to structural failure, such cracking or (internal) damage, as would be expected for a chewy, gummy, soft food product.

Claims

Claims 1. Method of producing an edible object comprising: i) providing a layer of a powder composition; ii) depositing a first liquid on a part of the layer; iii) irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagnetic radiation to consolidate said part, resulting in a treated powder layer; iv) applying a further layer of the powder composition on top of the treated powder layer and repeating ii) and iii); wherein iv) is performed once or repeated one or more times to form the edible object, and wherein a) the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch; and / or b) the first liquid comprises an aqueous solution of at least 3 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.%, of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid; and / or c) the method further comprises depositing on a layer of the powder composition a second liquid comprising lipids.

2. Method of producing an edible object comprising: i) providing a layer of a powder composition; ii) depositing a first liquid on a part of the layer; iii) irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagnetic radiation to consolidate said part, resulting in a treated powder layer; iv) applying a further layer of the powder composition on top of the treated powder layer and repeating ii) and iii); wherein iv) is performed once or repeated one or more times to form the edible object, and wherein a) the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch.

3. Method of producing an edible object comprising: i) providing a layer of a powder composition; ii) depositing a first liquid on a part of the layer; iii) irradiating a part of the layer that contains the first liquid with electromagneticradiation to consolidate said part, resulting in a treated powder layer; iv) applying a further layer of the powder composition on top of the treated powder layer and repeating ii) and iii); wherein iv) is performed once or repeated one or more times to form the edible object, and wherein a) the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch; and b) the first liquid comprises an aqueous solution of at least 3 wt.%, preferably at least 10 wt.%, of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups, by total weight of the first liquid; and c) the method further comprises depositing on a layer of the powder composition a second liquid comprising lipids.

4. Method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the powder composition comprises at least 25 wt.% protein by total weight of the powder composition.

5. Method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein said powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and optionally native starch, and wherein the first liquid comprises water.

6. Method of claim 5, wherein the powder composition comprises pre-gelatinised starch and native starch in a weight ratio of at most 1 :

3.

7. Method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the native starch is selected from the group consisting of cereal starches, tuber starches, pulse starches, and combinations thereof, wherein the pre-gelatinised starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinised cereal starches, pre-gelatinised tuber starches, pre-gelatinised pulse starches, and combinations thereof, wherein the native starch is preferably selected from the group consisting of wheat starch, maize starch, and combinations thereof, and wherein the pre-gelatinised starch is preferably selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinised wheat starch, pre-gelatinised maize starch, and combinations thereof.

8. Method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the pre-gelatinised starch exhibits no or no noticeable DSC peak in the range of 60-90 ºC in excess water, and / orwherein the native starch exhibits a DSC peak in the range of 60-90 ºC in excess water.

9. Method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the first liquid comprises at least 10 wt.% of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups by total weight of the first liquid, and wherein preferably the first liquid comprises water, and wherein preferably one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups is selected from the group consisting of amino acids, preferably alpha-amino acids, aliphatic alcohols, preferably C1-C8 alcohols, aliphatic diols, preferably C1-C8 diols, aliphatic triols, preferably C2-C8 triols, monosaccharides, disaccharides, hydrogenated monosaccharides, and partially hydrogenated disaccharides.

10. Method of any one of claims 1-9, comprising depositing a second liquid comprising lipids on a layer of the powder composition, wherein preferably the first liquid and second liquid are separately deposited on the layer of the powder composition, preferably the second liquid is deposited on the layer of the powder composition before the first liquid is deposited on the layer of the powder composition, and wherein preferably the first liquid comprises water.

11. Method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the second liquid comprises one or more saturated fats and wherein preferably the second liquid is deposited on a layer of the powder composition at a temperature above the melting points of the one or more saturated fats.

12. Method of any of claims 1-11, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid are deposited in different parts of a layer of the powder composition, and wherein the part of the layer of the powder composition with the deposited first liquid is selectively irradiated.

13. Method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the powder composition comprises lipids, preferably lipid powder, more preferably encapsulated lipid powder.

14. Food product, preferably pet food or human food, comprising the edible object obtainable by the method of any one of claims 1-13.

15. Food product of claim 14 being pet food, comprising 5 wt.% or more of fat and / or lipids, preferably 20 wt.% or more.

16. Use of a pre-gelatinised starch, and optionally native starch, in a method as defined in any one of claims 1-13.

17. Use of one or more organic compounds having one or more hydroxy groups in a method as defined in any one of claims 1-13.

18. Use of lipids in a method as defined in any one of claims 1-13.

Images