It sounds like a scene from a science fiction film but if one food concept designer has her way this is how everybody will be eating in the near future . While 3D food-printing technology is not a new thing , the invention of this self-growing snack that makes its own filling could change the way we consume food , forever . The Edible Growth project is the brainchild of Dutch concept designer Chloé Rutzerveld who conceived of the idea to show that high-tech or lab-produced food does not have to be 'unhealthy and unnatural . ' Scroll down for video . The Edible Growth project is the brainchild of Dutch food and concept designer Chloé Rutzerveld . Embedded in a pastry shell are seeds , yeast and spores , which take between three to five days to fully mature . The snack is a pastry shell embedded with seeds , yeast and spores , which take three to five days to mature , after which it is ready to be consumed . On her website Ms Rutzerveld explained in a video : 'The Edible Growth Project is about creating a fully edible ecosystem with living organisms in which the base gets printed by a 3D-printer and gradually develops towards a fully-fledged dish . ' Multiple layers containing seeds , spores and yeast are printed according to a personalized 3D file . Within five days the plants and fungi mature and the yeast ferments the solid inside into a liquid . The product ’ s intensifying structure , scent and taste are reflected in its changing appearance . Depending on the preferred intensity , the consumer decides when to harvest and enjoy the delicious , fresh and nutrient-rich edible . According to Ms Rutzerveld , the project is an example of high-tech but fully natural , healthy , and sustainable food made possible by combining aspects of nature , science , technology and design . Edible Growth makes use of natural processes like fermentation and photosynthesis and lowers the use of resources . She explained : 'It shows that high tech food does n't have to be unhealthy or unnatural , but that it can actually have a lot of advantages . 'The printer is not only used as a kind of shaping machine in which material A gets in and also comes out in another shape but it is used to create innovative food that truly contributes to solving the world 's food problems . ' The snack in its various stages : 3D-printed nylon prototype ( left ) and growth test to see if it will take ( right ) Success : The inner workings of the Edible Growth prototype which shows mushrooms and sprouts . The food designer aims to use the new food technology to create natural , healthy , sustainable and nutrient rich food that can not be made with traditional production methods . 'With Edible Growth a lot of unnecessary stages of the food chain disappear with as result a reduction of food waste , food miles and CO2 emission . At the same time the consumer will become more involved and conscious about the food they eat , ' she continued . The product is built from several layers , with an outer shell of crust made of dough or pasta , and on the inside spores , seeds , yeast and edible soiled are contained . A new way of eating : From machine to mouth in five days . The food designer hopes her concept will change the way we view and consume food in the future . The new food technology will create natural , healthy , sustainable , and nutrient rich food that can not be made using traditional production methods . After it has been printed , the consumer takes it home and within three to five days , it will develop into a complete dish that contains all the nutrients a the body needs . She compares the process to the maturing of cheese . 'Just like Roquefort cheese , the intensity of its taste , smell and whole eating experience increases over time . 'If we could produce our food this way , you can imagine that the food supply chain would shrink immensely , ' she said . The project is still at a conceptual stage at this point . 'Apart from the necessary technological development , a lot of biotechnological research will be needed on the composition of ingredients and food safety for instance , ' she said . 'Right now Edible Growth is really a future food concept , that inspires scientists , designers , and cooks to think about the future of our food . '
The Edible Growth project brainchild food designer Chloé Rutzerveld . High-tech but fully natural food combines nature , science and technology . This is a great example of the way that we can use our bodies to create new things for ourselves in order to improve our health and wellbeing.