By 2050, as the global population increases, food demand is expected to escalate. To meet that, AI will have to rise to the occasion. In the food industry, AI is already widely recognised for its simplicity, accuracy, and cost-saving method. As the global population increases, food demand is expected to escalate from 59 to 98 per cent by 2050. To meet this requirement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in areas such as supply-chain management, food sorting, production development, food-quality enhancement, and good industrial hygiene.
The first application of AI in the food industry is to assist FMCG businesses in analysing prevalent customer demands and desires.
AI can extract valuable insights about customer needs and desires using Big Data analytics and Machine Learning (ML) models, which leads to product development. Using algorithms, AI can identify food industry trends and anticipate their growth. Using ML and AI analytics, the system analyses customer preferences and patterns and predicts how consumers will react to new foods.
Applications such as sorting fresh fruit, supply chain management, food safety monitoring methods, appropriate cleaning-in-place systems, and predicting consumer desire have benefitted from AI’s increased efficiency and cost reductions.
Let’s see how AI applications can transform the food industry:
Predicting consumer preferences
Food manufacturers use AI-based solutions to accurately predict and model their target consumers’ flavour preferences and how they will react to novel flavours. As a result, AI-powered predictive analytics will help food producers create new items closely matched to customer tastes and preferences.
Food sorting
One of the most severe issues confronting food processing companies is the inconsistency of feedstock availability. Food processing companies can significantly automate food cataloguing by combining cameras, lasers, and ML with AI, which is used to improve machine calibration, handle multiple product sizes, and reduce waste and costs.
Supply chain management
Food-safety regulations are regularly updated to improve supply chain transparency. Artificial neural networks monitor food shipments across the supply chain. As a result, it ensures that the food meets all safety requirements.
AI is primarily used in the food industry to generate accurate inventory management and pricing forecasts. As a result, businesses will be one step ahead of current trends, allowing them to plan shipments. This method results in less waste and lower shipping costs. Most food industry businesses ship their products worldwide, making tracking shipments increasingly tricky. However, AI provides a more comprehensive view of the entire operation, allowing businesses to make the most of each shipment.
Food safety compliance
Food-processing companies prioritise safety above all else. Therefore, all employees and workers who come into direct contact with food must wear proper attire and adhere to safety standards. However, tracking hundreds of people and enforcing standards takes a lot of work.
AI-enabled cameras can monitor all employees and alert managers if a rule is broken. So, the AI can immediately identify safety hazards like improper food-protection equipment or regulatory violations. In addition, the AI can monitor production in real-time and send alerts to workers or managers.
What is the role of AI in food delivery?
Food delivery companies can use AI to improve customer service and increase customer retention more easily. Artificial Intelligence, according to a professional cross-platform app development company, can help food delivery businesses grow their customer base and provide better customer support.
Can AI solve food waste?
One application of AI is using ML algorithms to forecast demand for food products. As a result, it can reduce food waste by ensuring that the appropriate amount of food is produced and delivered to the correct location at the proper time.
The roadblocks
As with all technological advances, the application of AI is accompanied with a concern that power will be concentrated in the hands of a select few and that machines will replace people. These factors may discourage businesses from implementing AI.
AI technology must increase consumer participation in decision-making and transparency. It is a problem because food and beverage manufacturers are notorious for jealously guarding their proprietary formulations.
At last
AI has played a significant role in the food industry for various purposes, including modelling, prediction, control tools, food drying, sensory evaluation, quality control, and solving complex problems in food processing. Aside from that, AI is capable of enhancing business strategies due to its ability to conduct sales prediction and allow yield increase.
In the food industry, AI is widely recognised for its simplicity, accuracy, and cost-saving method. Furthermore, research is under way to solve the problems and broaden its application.