Through its Mona Lisa brand, premium chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is now offering the world’s first personalized 3D printed chocolate at scale. The company announced that is has launched the new Mona Lisa 3D Studio, where chefs will have new creative tools at their disposal.

According to Barry Callebaut, Mona Lisa is the first brand to launch personalized 3D printed chocolate at scale, made from Belgian chocolate. The move combines industry-leading production technology, bespoke design, and Barry Callebaut’s chocolate expertise to help chefs craft their own unique creations and reproduce them rapidly and affordably.

For the launch event, Mona Lisa teamed up with pastry chef Jordi Roca to help him unleash his creativity through a unique 3D piece made out of chocolate. His latest creation ‘Flor de Cacao’ represents a cocoa bean that opens up like a cacao flower through contact with hot chocolate sauce.

“This new way of working with chocolate is going to take consumers by surprise, with previously unthinkable shapes produced at scale and with impressive precision,” says Roca. “I’m usually inspired by the things I can’t do as they represent a creative challenge – but now, thanks to Mona Lisa 3D Studio, I can take my chocolate craftsmanship to the next level. I can imagine any new kind of design and it will come to life.”

The Mona Lisa 3D Studio is equipped with innovative precision technology capable of printing thousands of pieces at a time while retaining a bespoke hand-made appearance. Chefs and customers can personalize a chocolate decoration with their own unique design, shape, and size preferences, before a team of designers transform the product into a digital 3D prototype with samples. Once the prototype is approved, the final product can be quickly reproduced at scale.

The creations can be used for desserts, confectionery, hot drinks, and pastries. This service will be first available to chefs and hotels, coffee chains, and restaurant establishments in specific European countries. The first customer of the Mona Lisa 3D Studio is Van der Valk, a leading hotel chain in the Netherlands.

“Innovation is an important pillar of Barry Callebaut’s proven ‘smart growth’ strategy. I am delighted that the Mona Lisa 3D Studio allows chefs to create unique consumer experiences at scale,” says Pablo Perversi, Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer and Head of Gourmet at Barry Callebaut. “This technological breakthrough innovation positions the Mona Lisa brand at the forefront of the industry and strengthens Barry Callebaut’s global leadership in Decorations.”