The Future of Food: 15 Tech Innovations in Diet and Nutrition
The food sector has made great strides in recent years to improve our diets and diagnose intolerances more quickly. Like all industries, there is significant competition, so innovative technology continues to appear regularly.
It’s also a fast-moving industry, and we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the near future.
The following innovations combine established and emerging technologies, but each has revolutionized or is set to revolutionize how we eat.
1. 3D Printing
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It’s incredible to think that we might all be eating food produced by a 3D printer one day. Alongside many of these innovations, this has the potential to address world hunger, and that’s extremely important.
While the technology is still developing, 3D food printing can produce shapes while adding texture and flavor. The process may be limited now but will undoubtedly grow and develop.
2. Animal Free Eggs
One of the most challenging issues facing the food industry is the impact of intensive animal farming on the environment. This is one reason we are seeing an increase in plant-based products, and there are interesting innovations elsewhere.
Egg production has also faced problems with avian flu, and animal-free eggs are one answer. Currently, the technology only extends to egg whites, but it’s another area that will expand soon.
3. Better Diagnostics
Food allergies and intolerances are an issue for many. At best, they can lead to minor discomfort, but some severe allergic reactions can be fatal.
In some cases, problems occur hours after eating the food, making it challenging to identify the cause. That’s why it’s welcome news that early diagnostics continue to improve and help sufferers cut out foods that affect their health.
4. Tailored Food Supplements
Diagnostics can also help boost our diet. At the Technical University of Munich in Germany, scientists specialize in health and nutrition and are looking to disrupt the existing food supplements market.
At present, supplements are generalized, but under the University’s LOEWI program, blood and lifestyle testing can produce a bespoke prescription that better suits the individual.
5. Wearable Food Tech
One issue for those with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other medical issues related to food is the fact that they need constant monitoring. It’s not always possible to see medical staff regularly or at short notice; this is where wearable tech comes in.
Devices on our upper arms help monitor glucose levels and warn us when they need addressing. Whatever the condition, this type of real-time monitoring helps enormously.
6. Robot Food Delivery
Not every innovation will be welcomed, and food delivery jobs will likely start to reduce. Drone delivery died out due to costs, but the study into remote working continues.
Robot delivery is trialed in many countries across the world. The phenomenon will build and become commonplace when the process becomes secure and reliable.
7. Plant Crossbreeding
Crossbreeding plants isn’t designed to solve any specific problem, but it helps keep food production more fascinating. Successful programs produce new species that we haven’t tried before, and there have been some exciting experiments in this sphere.
One of the more recent success stories is the sweet garleek. It’s a vegetable with the potency of garlic, balanced by the sweetness of leek. Best of all, there is no waste, as the entire plant can be eaten.
8. Air Fryers
We now take appliances such as air fryers and rice cookers for granted, but they are playing an important role in the future of food. The essential factor with air fryers, in particular, is that they don’t cost as much to run, thereby saving money on energy bills.
That’s a vital element at a time of rising electricity prices, and it shows how technology is already making a difference in many households.
9. AI Health and Wellness
Artificial intelligence can transform the food industry in many ways. One area already benefiting is health and wellness, where apps provide bespoke diet and fitness programs.
The system includes personalized meal plans, initially produced by coaches. Machine learning completes the experience.
10. Agricultural Side Streams
In some areas, it’s estimated that the world will need around 50% more food by 2050. One answer to the problems that will arise is to reduce production waste, and this is where agricultural side streams come in.
The process involves taking discarded crop parts, such as corn husks and wheat stalks, and creating sugar from their fiber. As this vital research continues, flour can be produced through side streams.
11. Irregular Produce
Another way to tackle food waste is to use irregularly shaped produce. Wonky carrots, straight bananas, and squash that are too small now avoid the food scrap heap.
Grocery stores are starting to catch on to the phenomenon, while householders can order regular deliveries of irregular products through online subscription services.
12. Sous Vide Cooking
Any new cooking method has to add an extra element to the kitchen. Sous vide appliances’ unique selling point is keeping meat and fish moist while delivering even cooking across the protein.
A sous vide is essentially a water bath, and it was once only seen in professional kitchens. However, more affordable items now make these products more accessible for regular households.
13. Realistic Plant-Based Alternatives
In the past, it wasn’t much fun for those who turned vegetarian and missed the taste of meat. Early plant-based replacements were tasteless, using textured vegetable protein with disappointing results.
Products have certainly improved more recently, and that trend is set to continue. One new item causing a stir is a steak alternative produced by Adamo Foods. It promises to be “ultra-realistic” and will be a crucial factor as the world looks to rely less on intensive animal farming.
14. Low Alcohol Beer That Retains the “Buzz”
Many have switched to low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beers. It’s another area of the food and drink industry where products have improved significantly, and many can mimic the taste of their alcoholic counterparts.
One issue for some drinkers is that they miss the “buzz” of booze, but one brewer promises to deliver that effect. Impossibrew claims that its drinks provide a feeling of relaxation without the need for alcohol. It’s early days, but this tech phenomenon will surely be imitated.
15. Mobile Apps
We are so used to having a vast selection of smartphone apps that we take them for granted. In fact, this type of software has revolutionized the food industry, and there’s plenty of room for more to step in.
Daily steps, calories burned, and exercise programs are regular parts of our lives, while diet plans can also be monitored online. With artificial intelligence among the likely new developments, the use of apps in the food industry is set to develop further.
