The rise of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT has brought huge investment, excitement and expectations for an ‘AI revolution’ that promises to transform the way we work, produce goods, buy products and make sense of the world.
While the jury is still out on the long-term benefits of AI (an eye-catching analysis in The Economist recently suggested it has had negligible economic impact so far), many food and drink companies are intrigued by the possibilities of AI and experimenting with AI tools.
So, what are some of the key applications of AI in food and drink? And how could AI support the creation of healthier products and drive healthier choices?
Arguably one of the most exciting areas for AI in food and drink is new product development.
AI can already help companies spot emerging trends, identify promising ingredients and better forecast consumer demand. Last year, Waitrose said it used AI to analyse trends from menus and social media when developing recipes for its Japan Menyū range.
AI can also speed up the development process to an astonishing degree. Mars is reportedly using a proprietary generative AI tool called Brahma to rapidly iterate product ideas and develop up to 50 NPD concepts a day.
And it’s not just big corporates. SMEs such as Heck have also highlighted AI’s ability to help bring NPD to market more quickly, as well as helping smaller brands weather the impact of inflation by driving supply chain efficiencies.
From a health perspective specifically, one of the most intriguing opportunities is AI’s potential to improve product reformulation.
Reformulation can be challenging technically and often involves a significant element of risk. Will the reformulated product perform as well as the original – and will consumers accept it?
AI tools promise to take some of the guesswork out of the process, help companies identify opportunities for making recipes healthier, suggest alternative ingredients and even predict consumers' responses to reformulated products. Sugar reduction and reformulation to remove ingredients associated with ultra-processing are just two of the possible applications.
The development of plant-based products and alternative proteins could also be boosted by AI. NotCo, for example, has developed an AI tool called Guiseppe, whose algorithm it says can “match the taste, texture and smell of an animal-based product” using plant-based ingredients.
We’re also keeping a close eye on developments in the AI-assisted cooking and meal planning space. (The Cherrypick app we profiled in our last newsletter is one example.)
Scratch cooking using wholefood ingredients is an important healthy eating habit, but many people struggle with meal planning or lack the necessary cooking skills.
While there have been some less-than-successful experiments in this area (last year, a supermarket meal planner suggested an AI-generated recipe for chlorine gas), AI-powered meal planning and cooking could in time make this important habit more achievable for more people.
Given AI’s ability to deliver personalisation at scale, there is also significant potential crossover with the personalised nutrition trend.
What’s more, important work is happening to make cooking more accessible to a wider range of consumer groups through AI-assisted chatbots and cooking assistants.
Earlier this year, Unilever announced a trial with accessibility app Be My Eyes to create a better cooking experience for people who are blind or have low vision. Through a special on-pack Accessible QR code, shoppers are connected to volunteers who can read out cooking instructions or an AI chatbot with ChatGPT-4 capability that can answer questions about cooking instructions and provide recipe inspiration.
Brands are also increasingly exploring chatbots and AI tools to support specific health and wellness goals and make healthy habits more engaging. For example, Gatorade is trialling an AI-powered hydration coach.
We can see lots of scope for more developments like this, including branded chatbots and AI assistants to support fibre and protein intake, encourage gut health and help people achieve 5-A-Day or 30-A-Week fruit and veg targets.
Health trends keep evolving quickly, as does the public health and regulatory landscape. To keep up with rapidly changing demands, food and drink brands will want to take a close look at AI to see if new tools could enable them to respond to shifting consumer demands and regulatory requirements at pace.
