The Orion's Arm Universe Project Forums

Army scientists have spent decades concocting meals that last without refrigeration and survive high-altitude airdrops. And now, the Army is eyeing a new form of cooking: 3-D printing! Yes, food that comes fresh out of a printer, for our troops.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsider...r-soldiers

This tech won't be like the replicators on Star Trek, where the food instantly materialises; more like any other 3D printer, where you have a long wait before the product finally appears. Perhaps developing them for military use will speed the process up somewhat, perhaps by creating an assembly line with multiple printer heads.