How Automation Is Changing the Food Industry

Consumers today are becoming more eco-conscious, choosing plant-based alternatives when possible and encouraging businesses to support political and social causes.

Food waste can be an enormously costly problem for consumers and F&B companies, though apps like TooGoodToGo help mitigate its effects by using upcycled ingredients.

Automation

Many people assume food production involves heavy manual labor. Although humans still play an essential role in processing plants, grocery stores, and restaurants, automation has allowed this industry to become more agile and responsive to change.

Automation reduces human errors and increases efficiency by performing tasks with greater precision than humans can match, helping food and packaging plants comply with food and safety regulations.

For instance, Miso Robotics’ Flippy robot is an innovative cooking bot designed to do two specialties – flipping hamburgers and operating fryers – with usage already taking place at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium and two CaliBurger restaurants in Southern California. As the food service industry moves toward automation solutions for efficiency, such robots may prove essential.

AI

Automating business processes with AI can reduce costs in the food industry by streamlining production and distribution processes. Furthermore, AI can enhance customer service delivery while increasing revenue streams.

Many restaurants are employing AI technology to streamline their operations. Wingstop partnered with ConverseNow to develop a virtual ordering assistant which answers phones and recommends products. Other chains, including Del Taco, Domino’s Pizza, and Panera, also utilize this technology.

AI can enhance food safety through inspections. Furthermore, AI can prevent food waste by anticipating trends; this allows food producers to stay one step ahead of their customers’ tastes, thus significantly cutting shipping costs and waste, which is especially essential for global food processing companies.

Robotics

Robotics has become a valuable food industry technology with multiple uses in mind. Robots can improve hygiene standards, save time, and free up space while freeing up valuable kitchen counter space. In the kitchen, robotics can help cut and cook foods and assemble dishes quickly and efficiently.

Robots can assist in primary packaging by placing packages into their wrappers, cartons, or vacuum-sealed bags. Furthermore, robots can be used for stacking, labeling, and distributing food products.

Robots have also had an enormous effect on food delivery services. One restaurant, Creator in California, employs a Rube Goldberg machine-like robot to prepare and serve burgers; their robot can grind meat, toast buns, dispense condiments, and deliver to customers more efficiently and safely than humans could.

Disruptive Technology

Using disruptive technology to collect customer data can be immensely advantageous to the food industry, improving food safety and preventing fraud. Many restaurants have started using facial recognition software to prevent identity theft – this makes working conditions safer for restaurant employees.

Food consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and demanding of their food and beverage purchases, demanding flavor, quality, value, and convenience in equal measure. They are also increasingly mindful of environmental sustainability when selecting their meals and beverages, leading to more comprehensive product information and cleaner labels from food and beverage producers.

Changed consumer demands and rapid technological development are prompting an evolution in the food industry, leading to localized production, greener plate structures, and new ways for customers to connect with businesses.

Data Analytics

Food industry businesses rely heavily on data analytics for an array of applications. From optimizing production and streamlining workflow to saving working hours and costs, data analytics plays a pivotal role in the success of food and beverage firms.

Food processors can use warehousing solutions and transportation monitoring tools to manage storage facilities, track perishable materials before they spoil, and manage storage facilities more effectively by monitoring perishability levels and the lifespan of materials. Furthermore, this enables the company to take corrective action quickly if there are issues in its supply chain before food spoils.

Consumers are becoming increasingly educated on where their food comes from, dissatisfied with marketing messages that omit key details or labeling practices that hide details from them.