The food industry is a completely dynamic and evolving industry, where digital transformation can create real value for businesses and consumers. In a world dominated by smart technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation, it should come as no surprise to us that the food companies have stepped up their digital transformation efforts.
They are now adopting and relying on new tech and mobile applications to eliminate challenges and improve their processes and competitiveness. A report from ING suggests technology helps food manufacturers to produce in a more efficient way for a growing world population. By using tech innovations to improve packaging and processing, they can improve the shelf life and safety of food.
Major challenges for the food industry
The food industry has undergone many changes due to the rapid change in consumer behavior in terms of preferences, taste and packaging, technological advancements and regulations. These factors have also plagued the industry with a series of challenges, and here is more about it:
The plastic ban: The improper disposal of plastic is one of the concerning issues for the food industry today. As consumers prefer eco-friendly products more, food manufacturers are making efforts to process highly environment friendly products through the adoption of numerous recycling practices.
Health-conscious consumers: The ever-increasing disorders related to food have prompted consumers to bring about drastic changes in their diet and lifestyle, making them more health-conscious than ever before. This has diverted them towards purchasing foods without added preservatives. The need to produce food without preservatives and artificial ingredients is a significant challenge faced by food and beverage managers.
Concerns about product traceability: Consumers now pay more attention to what goes into their food. With their trust decreasing drastically in food supply chains, end-to-end traceability has evolved as one of the megatrends in the food industry.
Moving further, let’s understand how emerging technologies are helping in reducing these challenges faced by the food industry.
Robots and machines in kitchens
The use of robots and machines ensures quality and affordability. Using machines drives down the costs of keeping the food fresh and increases productivity. They can work at a faster pace without getting tired and thus reduce the wait time for customers. Robotic machines can also ensure safety in dangerous jobs within the food industry. In 2016, a tech company named JBS rolled out a program ‘robot butchers’. They used robots to cut the more difficult of the meats and were able to save many work injuries. This is just one instance of how technology can improve the industry.
The food packaging industry has also found immense success from the use of robots and automation. As per estimates, approximately 95% of packages are produced by robots. In fact, food processing technology is currently valued at over US$ 32 billion.
Ordering kiosks and reservations
Kiosks are quickly becoming an imperative part of the fast food industry. Major chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s are already testing the water in their locations. These kiosks allow customers to place their orders and complete payment without any human assistance. It is beneficial in terms of faster delivery and better customer services. Going by the positive results, soon we can see a wider adoption of kiosks by smaller restaurants, too.
As we step into the new normal, reservation automation systems can help render a smooth and safe experience for customers. These systems can allow guests to see real-time availability on the restaurant website, check for less crowded restaurants and confirm the place directly. They can also provide seats to guests automatically without the host stand lifting a finger.
Eco-friendly waste and packaging
As consumers are now strongly focused on healthy meals and sustainability, brands have no choice but to follow up with this trend. So, what alternatives do we have? Well, many food industries are taking help from digital transformation companies to help them ‘go green’. With the latest tech developments, there are actual edible packaging, micro packaging and even bacteria fighting packaging. Consumers are also able to track how companies are handling their waste and sourcing their products from. Technologies can also help fight against excessive product waste. For example, Copia app’s extensive food waste reduction dashboard allows businesses with surplus food to connect with other nonprofit organizations and local shelters.
3D Printing for foods
In the past few years, 3D printing has played a crucial role in transforming the food industry. There have been several use cases of 3D printing food – from NASA printing a pizza to creating soft foods for those who cannot chew hard food. With 3D printing, it has become possible to create things that were beyond our imagination along with food sustainability.
Drones to monitor farms
Last but not least, DRONES! Agriculture industry is setting up a lot of challenges for business owners and farmers. This sector is hugely dependent on weather conditions and the quality of soil and crops. For this reason, people have started using drones. How do they help? Drones monitor climate changes, crop yields and soil levels using GPS tracking systems and satellite imagery. This helps to increase efficiency on the farm. Not only can farmers see all that is happening across the fields, but they can also test the soil and the health of the crops from the findings. These drones can also identify and locate diseased or damaged crops. As a result, it saves time, helps grow only high-quality crops, and improves workers’ productivity and efficiency.
With all these advancements in technology and acceleration in digital transformation, there are so many different ways to change the process of food production. Old school methods would no longer work because they cannot provide the highest levels of transparency, quality of product shipment, and storage. This is why marketers are bending towards the latest tech innovations and hiring digital transformation companies. Evolving technologies could be the key to eliminating world hunger, challenges related to safety and quality, and solving our waste problem- we will just have to wait and see.
Peeyush Singh is the Director of Appinventiv
