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The food industry has left no crumbs throughout its evolution in the last few years. From 3D food printers to the evergrowing involvement of AI in food management, we are far from putting the cherry on top of this growth curve.
Though there are countless food tech industry trends, we did the groundwork for you and compiled the top industry trends on tech that you and your business should keep an eye on. This article delves into a summary of what you should know about each food industry trend. Let’s scoop right in.
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Over recent years, there’s been a growing awareness and concern towards healthier foods and lifestyles, an importance we realised especially during the pandemic that brought health to the spotlight.
Consumers are increasingly more attentive and vigilant about what they eat and what it does to their bodies, and that’s where nutraceuticals come in. When you hear the term nutraceuticals, think of foods that promote health, such as prebiotics, probiotics, functional foods and nutritional supplements, to name a few.
Farmhand Organics, a food-tech startup, is already leveraging this growing trend by producing hand-made plant-based, naturally probiotic fermented foods with organic ingredients. Their products, including kimchi and krauts, promote a healthier gut, sleep cycle, and immune system.
The startup also uses locally sourced ingredients from farms and suppliers to mitigate its carbon footprint during transportation, another key incentive for today’s customers who value sustainability.
While eCommerce is no stranger to the food industry, its integration and application continue to grow thanks to the rapid digitalisation across multiple sectors in the last four years. Food delivery platforms such as GrubHub, Uber Eats, SkiptheDishes, and in-house deliveries continue to become the drivers of on-demand food delivery services.
The rise of omnichannel distribution has also been a highlight throughout the food industry, as food businesses aim to enable customers to buy products either online or in-store to diversify their reach and cater to consumer preferences.
For instance, Lab42, a software development company, created PandaBox, an innovative automation platform tailored for corporate food delivery. The platform was designed to streamline the food delivery process, from order management, route planning, GPS tracking systems, and IT system integrations to enabling real-time tracking that enables a smoother kitchen-to-doorstep process.
As technology brings the world closer together, it also closes the knowledge gap between consumers and information. Consumers are now more well-informed and prioritise their food quality and safety. Blockchain plays a critical role in addressing these concerns.
With the power of blockchain technology, businesses can now enable consumers to track their foods through smart labels and standalone food grading devices from farm to fork. Hence, this provides a solution to build and earn consumer trust and, eventually, loyalty in the long run.
An example of this is Thrasos, a French-based startup that has created an AI-based food management system that aims to ensure food safety and compliance with hygiene procedures and standards. They aim to provide food safety management as a service for businesses to ensure the foods they produce are safe and that they have the seal of approval in regard to hygiene, therefore reassuring customers they can safely eat their food products.
We used to live in a time when going as contactless as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was the norm.
Today, going contactless continues to become the norm, enhancing safety and seamless business processes. From cashless payments self-service kiosks or stations to digital menus using QR code scans, restaurants worldwide are widely using them, and customers are gradually embracing them.
On top of that, chatbots and voice bots are on the rise and under prudent development to assist customers better in placing their orders. AI is also pivotal in creating a more personalised customer experience by analysing customer behaviour and preference data to make tailored recommendations and input additional data to develop new recipes.
A great example of this is the customer engagement platform created by a Czech-based startup called AAHI. AAHI spearheaded the contactless ordering platform by using digital menus and QR codes that support various languages.
In addition, the startup also has an Ecological Marketplace that intends to connect customers who value sustainability to special offers for low-demand or unsold food products, turning them into revenue rather than waste.
As technology continues to change and evolve, it becomes imperative for businesses to stay alert and ready for the dynamic nature of today’s economy. Your business’s ability to adopt and adapt to these changes is vital to its survival and thrive in spite of any technological change.
Learn more about how Lab42 can help bulletproof your business against technological disruptions.
