During a dinner with other food tech entrepreneurs and investors in late 2018, the entrepreneur and investor David Friedberg he talked to scientists about a recent study he had read. According to research (and it took scientists, I think to myself) most drinks are made primarily of water, with only 1% contributing to their flavor.
It didn't take long for someone to wonder aloud whether it was possible to build a machine that could mix almost any drink. “Why not create a kind of Star Trek replicator and let people 'print' whatever drink they want, whenever they want, right in their home?”
Thus was born the concept for Cana (an obvious biblical reference, n'est pas?) a "molecular printer for drinks" just out after four years of incubation.
Cana, a Netflix for drinks
The device, which one investor describes as a "Netflix for drinks," contains just a single cartridge that houses hundreds of flavor compounds, according to the company.
According to Friedberg, Cana can produce almost any type of drink: "We can print an infinite number of drinks from a few main flavor compounds. We know we can do this in many existing beverage categories: fruit juice, soda, hard seltzer, cocktails, wine, tea, coffee and beer. Consumer testing has rated our printed beverages as equal to or better than commercially available alternatives. Our hardware can print drinks quickly and accurately, and will save time and money.”
Decentralized production, not just drinks
At the size of a toaster, Cana employs what the company calls a “new microfluidic method of liquid dispensing.” Which, whatever the meaning of the phrase, translates into only one thing: decentralized production.
Making a molecular printer (am I really using this word?) Actually means inventing a new type of supply chain. The production of things that were born in factories located anywhere could start directly from the point of consumption: everyone's home.
It goes without saying that 99% of the material is more than locally sourced: tap water. Better this or the entire production and logistics chain, including packaging? Less energy to produce, fewer emissions.
Cana is avant-garde, whether you like it or not
Intelligence in the food system is moving towards a great leap. The comparison with Netflix is not far-fetched: as with other products that had many, many supports, even foods can partly "dematerialize", break down, and come into being in more rapid and economical ways. Whether it's robots that can make salads by assembling fresh ingredients, or technology that allows you to grow food or print drinks, this is a trend we'll see grow.
Friedberg and the Cana team have promoted their machine in a clever way, as a way to make drinks without having to throw a hundred containers each month in the trash or recycling bin.
From science fiction to reality: by the end of February the company will present the prices of the device and the first model. Cana promises that its machine and flavors will cost less than packaged drinks.
