How Is Artificial Intelligence Transforming the Food Industry?
Some people call this Artificial Intelligence (AI), but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of AI, I think we’ll augment our intelligence, quoted by Ginni Rometty, CEO (Chief executive officer) of IBM.
The business of selling food to customers is being disturbed to a level not since the last pandemic, over 100 years ago. So, it’s not true that the crisis accelerated the adoption of technology in the manner that is occurring today with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the food industry. It is increasingly possible that our food system was ill-prepared (antifragile) for this Covid-19 induced crisis.
Due to the Coronavirus, most restaurants and street food vendors have been shut for business. This is the reason for a re-ignition in the meal-kit movement, shut-downs of meat factories and office canteens, a dramatic return to home cooking, and the explosion of home delivery. It seems as though the industry around the globe will never be the same again.
But, of course, this will pass. However, the continued deconstruction and automation of the food supply process clarifies that we are entering a new norm and returning to the world as we knew it wouldn’t be possible. But, Don’t fret. We are in the digital era now, and surely digital technologies can transform the food industry significantly. Furthermore, all these technologies like AR, VR, Sensors, Robots, and many more have one thing in common: AI (artificial intelligence) is the secret code or sauce behind all.
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to accumulating data from sensors and its conversion to understandable information. AI machines can mimic human functions like learning and problem solving and interpret information more efficiently than humans. As a result, it reduces the need to be involved. Everyone is aware of Artificial Intelligence and its contribution to every industry. The work efficiency of food industries has changed after the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the industry.
Indeed, it is clear that AI can also be self-learning and progress beyond human abilities. The use of AI to advance food production is accelerating as the world progresses post-Covid. Also, expectations of speed, efficiency, and sustainability are ever-increasing alongside the rapidly growing population. In this post, I’ve discussed how Artificial Intelligence has transformed the food industry and accelerated its growth or even changed its operation. Let’s have a look at each one by one.
Artificial Intelligence Service-Based Solutions for the Food Industry
1. Automating Food Processing
Food processing includes human workers at several steps in the processing and packaging factories. It increases the necessity of ensuring hygiene during the services, making self-regulation of the services a benefit. In addition, they can choose AI-enabled robotic equipment to affect the skill of human hands. This type of decision-making requires the senses of smell, vision, and adaptability to adapt to changing circumstances. AI brings even more through augmented vision, analyzing data streams. Whether it’s unavailable through human senses or where the quantities of data are overwhelming.
Organizations like TOMRA have already begun to incorporate Artificial Intelligence technology into their production processes consisting of innovative sensor-based sorting machines, detecting and removing any types of foreign materials.
2. Supply Chain Efficiencies
Supply chains have been experiencing an improvement in the last few years. This is because food supply chains were only considered a few food processes and packaging parts that a singular person controlled in the past. But now, the present food supply chain has a wider approach. These food supply chains have been encouraged to include extra elements of the food-making system from different fields like farms.
The food supply chain consists of wholesalers, retailers, farmers, and food processors. The variety and quality of fresh products can be digitally rated with the help of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) technology. As a result, it moves along the supply chain for lower customer rejection rates, reduces manual labour effort per day, and reduces food loss. AI’s supply chain management systems can be embraced for continuous monitoring and regulating operations beyond the supply chain. By creating broadcast information and IoT (internet of things) for joining the food supply chain, AI guarantees that each supply chain segment operates in compatibility together.
For example, UberEATS, which now sits at approximately USD 6 billion bookings run rate and growing over 200%, riding the wave of popularity of food delivery, is now incorporating AI. The reason for integrating AI is to make recommendations for menu items and restaurants, optimise deliveries”, and look into the use of drones.
3. Improving Service of Food Delivery
Food delivery is an imperative part of the food industry. It has become a growing section of the food sector with a tremendous range of potential. The algorithms of AI (artificial intelligence) researches the performance of individual consumers on their websites to know their preferences. In addition, AI has utilized food delivery services for automating its marketing efforts.
Moreover, multiple food delivery aggregator platforms are adopting AI technology to execute customer service. As we can see, several food companies have been operating AI-powered chatbots to immediately approach customers’ requests regarding their orders, pay minor complaints, and manage the central complaints to the right people.
4. Securing Safe Transit
Security safe transit is another field where AI can be beneficial by maintaining the circumstances amidst which food shipment necessitates place. For example, food items or some ingredients need food items that demand storage and transport in suitable conditions in terms of humidity and temperature. These demands must be persistently checked and maintained to make sure that these products are delivered to the given types of equipment.
Adopting AI (Artificial Intelligence) connected with IoT (Internet of Things) developments will immediately control the demands for storage and transportation to ensure that the items are delivered on time at their destinations in the best attainable state.
5. Stop Processing Equipment
Indeed, food processing covers continuous product ideas which are offered by multiple machines. Since a failure in these food processing systems blocks the entire process, food companies can apply AI to ensure that all the material is stored in suitable working circumstances for the required period.
The adoption of AI in the food industry has started the course of automatic predictive maintenance. As a result, AI systems can consistently stay updated on the status of the equipment and take up maintenance endeavours. Thus, it will help to ensure the continuous flow of services and improve process performance and resources.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence is transforming food processing businesses from a single farm to a large eatery industry. It helps to take care of different aspects such as services, time, and resources. It also increases the productivity and profitability of the business. In upcoming years it is going to remodel the FP&H (Food processing and handling) industry forever. AI will help these companies increase their revenue by reducing maintenance time & hence the production downtime and speeding up the production process. As a result, it decreases the risks of failure by delivering an excellent customer experience by predicting their desires, likes, and dislikes and automating the entire process.
Here, the bell has rung for an artificial intelligence application development company. As we all know, many food processing companies will be looking for AI solutions providers that would help them stay in the competition and rule the industry soon by getting food delivery app development done.
