Trimatt Systems is preparing to launch a new direct-to-food printing system at foodpro 2026, bringing industrial scale edible printing technology to the Australian market.
Can branding be edible?
For food and beverage manufacturers, ingredients and flavour are the primary concerns that dictate customer satisfaction. Branding – often achieved through printing, packaging, marketing and word of mouth – is a secondary concern that influences whether customers return.
Edible printing technology exists in smaller retail and bakery applications, operating at slow speeds for low volumes.
Trimatt Systems is aiming to change that by combining flavour and branding into one at foodpro 2026. The Melbourne-based automation company will showcase its new industrial direct-to-food printing system capable of printing full-colour graphics directly onto edible products.
“The machine we’re going to be exhibiting at foodpro for the first time is called the ColourStar AQE,” said founder of Trimatt Systems, Matt Johnson.
The AQE stands for Aqueous Edible, and the machine is designed for industrial food production environments. It uses certified edible inks to print directly onto products such as biscuits, cookies, wafers and marshmallows at high speed. The technology introduces a new way for manufacturers to think branding.
“It gives food manufacturers a new way to promote products from a novelty aspect,” said Johnson.
While edible printing technology already exists in smaller retail and bakery applications, Johnson explained these systems typically operate at much slower speeds and are designed for low volume production. For example, a bakery shop may place a cake under a desktop printer, taking roughly 10 minutes or more to produce a printed image directly onto the icing.
The ColourStar AQE has been designed differently. Rather than operating through a stop/start process, it functions as a single-pass industrial solution. Products move continuously along a conveyor while images are printed directly onto the food surface.
“What we’ve got is an industrial solution for high-speed production of food printing,” said Johnson. “The product moves on a conveyor past the printer, which means we can print 200 to 300 biscuits per minute.”
Halal and kosher certified
The launch marks an extension of Trimatt’s existing ColourStar platform, which has already been used widely across on-demand printing applications. Existing systems are commonly used for printing onto coffee bags, cartons, napkins and other packaging materials.
However, edible printing introduces a new set of requirements, particularly around food safety and certification.
“Most inks aren’t suitable for printing directly on to food,” said Johnson. “For printing directly on food, you must use certified edible inks.”
To address this, the ColourStar AQE uses edible inks certified for halal and kosher markets, expanding the potential customer base for food manufacturers supplying diverse retail and export sectors.
Johnson also noted that earlier food-printing systems often came with limitations, particularly around colour capability.
“One colour is very limiting,” he said. “The other problem was the ink was not qualified for halal or kosher, which meant it limited the market.”
Collaborating closely with suppliers, Trimatt has developed the ColourStar AQE using CMYK edible-ink technology, allowing full-colour graphics, logos and images to be printed directly onto food products. Because the process is digital, each item can carry different artwork without interrupting production.
Beyond the printing technology itself, Trimatt focuses on system integration and product handling. Rather than supplying only the print engine, the company has developed a complete turnkey production line designed specifically for food environments.
“We build a complete turnkey system,” said Johnson. “We build an FDA-qualified feeder which delivers food products using food-grade belts.”
The system includes automated product feeding, food-grade conveyors, stainless steel construction and product collection that prepares finished items for packing. All machinery components have been designed for food manufacturing conditions.
This means businesses can print directly onto the product, collate printed products, and deliver them directly to the consumer. This engineering approach reflects Trimatt’s broader business model, which focuses on integrating printing technologies into automated production environments.
What to expect
At foodpro 2026, Trimatt plans to demonstrate five systems across its exhibition stand. Alongside the ColourStar AQE, visitors will also see the ColourStar AQV system and other industrial technologies.
“Whether it’s food manufacturing, contract packing, or a business looking to reduce their materials in-house, we have an offering that’s going to satisfy a lot of businesses,” said Johnson.
At the exhibition, the company plans to demonstrate personalised edible printing live on the stand using the ColourStar AQE. Using digital artwork generated from a photograph, the system can create personalised edible products within moments.
Industry events like foodpro play a role in educating customers and opening different pathways to manufacturing. On-demand packaging, printing, date coding, batch marking and food printing solutions continue to expand Australian food and beverage manufacturing capabilities, while industry events help bring these technologies to life.
For example, Trimatt previously exhibited at MICE in 2023, where the company received an award for best accessory machine. Returning to the exhibition this year, Johnson said industry awareness around the company’s capabilities had noticeably increased.
“A lot of businesses thought that we were just a printing business,” he said. “This year, people viewed our offering totally differently. The businesses were more educated on the value of our solutions.
“Join us at FoodPro 2026, Stand M28 and have a coffee and a biscuit with your name on it.”
