3D printing using plastic, wood and metal is already widely used by industry to create objects ranging from jewellery and footwear to human bones.

Dr Hao told the BBC that chocolate printing, just like any other 3D printing technique, starts with a flat cross-section image – similar to that produced by ordinary printers turning out images, and then prints out chocolate layer by layer to create a 3D shape, without any moulding tools…

“You just need to melt some chocolate, fill a syringe that is stored in the printer, and get creative printing your chocolate.”