Food is essential for us and even we can’t live without food. When the terms ‘food’ comes to our mind, technology doesn’t seem to be the first thing. The world’s food demand is rising as the population is increasing. So we should think about food technology and technology that needs to be developed in the food industry. Though in the past decade advancement in technology has improved food production.
According to a recent report from ING, technology innovations allow us to produce more food and produce products in less time as well as more affordable and high-quality products. In other words, the food and beverage industry has already begun to change in the future.
Let's discuss which technology is recently added to the food industry.
Drone: Drone technology is newly added in the food industry. These small robots are very effective for the farmers and businessmen. Drone technology is changing the way of farming. It can save time and work perfectly.
Drone technology uses a GPS tracking system and satellite imagery to monitor crop yields, soil levels, and weather patterns to enhance farm efficiency. These technologies not only see what's happening on the field, but also use analysis from the finding to test the soil and the health of the crops. The drone provides information to farmers and helps them locate and identify which crops are diseased or damaged. The use of these robots not only saves time, eliminates the workers, but also works more effectively. As a result, high-quality crops are grown without any damage and diseases.
Credit: Drone
Blockchain: Blockchain technology is considered to be the next disruption in the world and is being studied in various applications, business fields, and processes. In the food industry, we try to find a detailed list of ingredients and make sure the manufacturing process is safe enough for the environment.
If blockchain technology is integrated with the latest technology for capturing information, there is huge potential in the food industry. We can revolutionize the food industry with the help of blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT). Blockchain provides a secure and unalterable platform where each participant in the supply chain can store and access this data. [3]
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Farmers and transportation companies are using AI’s improved weather forecast to improve yields and reduce shipping costs and waste, which affects costs for food producers.
AI technology is used in food sorting. Now, most of the companies are automated. This automation reduces huge labor costs, saves time, increases speed, and now improves yields. This technology is used for food cleaning that reduces time and saves money on water, energy, and time.
You can easily decide what new products to make and help consumers to decide what they want with AI technology. AI technology is used to improve both their manufacturing process and their products for food producers. [4]
Credit: foodtank
Packaging and Waste: Keeping products healthy and sustainable is one of the biggest concerns for consumers right now. Plastic is harmful to the environment and for this many companies are using eco-friendly packaging systems that are not harmful to the environment and it keeps food safe, fresh, healthy, and even kills bacteria. There are many companies in the food industry that are looking for alternatives to plastic and other harmful packaging for the environment.
In America, about 40% of food is discarded every year. If this huge amount of food is used without being dumped, then the food shortage will be reduced to some extent. With the help of modern technology, some steps are being taken to deduce that number and use extra food.
Technologies can help to fight against product waste. Many times shops and restaurants have a lot of food leftover. Many nonprofit organizations collect those leftover foods with the help of the ‘Copia app’. This copia app connects with the stores and restaurants to find out extra food.
Robotics and Machines: there are various technologies used in food technology for making food production safer and faster. Food technology has changed radically through advanced technology. Robotics is one of them. The use of robotics and machines in food technology also ensures quality and capability. Robots can help in human work. Using machines, it reduces the cost of keeping food fresh and increases productivity. Robotic machines are used to perform dangerous tasks in the food industry which is dangerous for humans.
For example, in 2016, JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company, first used ‘’ Robot Butchers’’. These robot butchers could cut more difficult sections of the meat which was a challenging job for butchers. However, robots have created a safer environment and reduced the risk of injury.
References:
[1]. https://easternpeak.com/blog/how-technology-is-transforming-the-food-industry/
[3]. food magazine
[4]. https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/ai-in-food-processing/