How is Artificial Intelligence Changing the Landscape of the Food Industry?
Robots are constantly taking charge at every stage of the food supply, from manufacturing to food packaging. Today, every food packaging and processing company is adopting robots and integrating these robots within their operations to enhance food safety and reduce work-related injuries.
The global population is increasing at a higher pace and will soon reach 8 million by end of 2022. Naturally, with the growing human population, it becomes mandatory to increase food production. But using the old traditional method of farming to meet such increasing food demands might not work effectively.
To overcome such challenges in the agriculture sector, artificial intelligence (AI) can be a great option. Implementation of AI in food production will allow the agriculture sector to improve food safety by having a transparent supply chain system.
Filled with required data, AI in the food sector can be a great way of promoting quality foods while allowing to meet the increasing food supply demands.
Artificial Intelligence in the Food Sector: A State of the Market
The adoption of AI in the food sector has a bright future ahead where the agri-food industry is safe, sustainable, and depends on smart agriculture techniques and advanced technologies such as robots and drones.
Food handling and processing are the most challenging sectors due to their several steps, such as machine maintenance, shipping, and food sorting.
Before shipping, each food item is well surveyed for maintaining the quality, which requires human efforts. However, the adoption of AI can help in automating these stages and eliminating the extra-human efforts needed.
As per BIS Research, the global artificial intelligence in the agriculture market is expected to touch $6,655.1 million by 2026, with a CAGR of 30.56% during the forecast period 2021-2026.
AI in Food Handling and Processing
From warehouse robots to AI, food production can be highly benefited through the use of advanced technologies.
AI-based systems are opening many opportunities for the agriculture sector in industrial and urban areas. It can grow crops in every season in a cost-controlled manner in any available space.
Automation via machine learning, robotics, and AI is a possible option for reducing labor costs and other such operations.
Let’s take a closer look at the possible applications of AI technology in the food sector.
• Sorting Vegetables
Earlier, the food sector largely relied on manual processing for sorting and shifting vegetables, resulting in challenges such as increased costs and reduced efficiency.
However, with the adoption of AI, food processing firms can adopt complete automation in food sorting with the use of advanced devices such as lasers, and cameras. Also, AI can help to reduce the complex tasks associated with food processing sectors.
• Efficient Supply Chain Management
Proper management of the supply chain always remains the top priority for every food company with respect to constantly rising requirements for transparency.
Currently, the food sector is adopting AI to enhance the supply chain via better AI-based testing and monitoring systems at every stage. Also, an AI-based image recognition system can enable effective monitoring of food products to eliminate the faults in the food supply chain.
This technology is also helping in transparent tracking of the products from the farm to the customers, resulting in increased confidence among the consumers.
• Food Safety
AI-based cameras help in ensuring safety levels among the food workers inside the food companies.
The AI image recognition system determines where the people inside the companies are complying with proper hygiene as per the safety law. If any breach of rules is found, the system passes the warning, and the same can be rectified in real-time.
• Anticipating Consumer Choices
Food manufacturers use AI solutions that allow them to anticipate and analyze the flavor preference of the targeted consumers and predict their reactions to certain new tastes.
Such AI-based analytics will allow food manufacturers to develop new products as per the consumer choice and taste.
Conclusion
AI is encouraging the food sector to be better and more efficient in handling the challenges of the agriculture sector.
AI’s role in the food sector is evolving increasingly due to its capabilities to decrease waste, anticipate markets for food products, and allow effective monitoring of the aspects such as production and supply chain.
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