19% increase in online consumer conversations and searches worldwide forecasted
28 Jan 2025
Consumers are optimistic about tech innovations in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate industries. Globally, 68% of people believe in progress in food through science. Another 45% believe AI will help them make better food choices in the future. Are they right? Here are some of the biggest technological innovations propelling the industry forward.
Tech-inspired is emerging as the fastest-growing consumer trend in the food sector. Our AI social listening and search analysis technology forecasts a 19% increase in online consumer conversations and searches surrounding technology-inspired innovations in 2024 and 2025. They are interested in 3D-printed chocolate (+335%), but also in fully automated bakeries (+138%). While those are definitely interesting developments, the spectrum of technological advancements pushing the food industry further is much wider.
Here are 3 of the most exciting innovations in the food industry today that leave a mark on consumer lives (or will do so in the near future):
Eating better & safer with AI
According to our global consumer survey, nearly half of global consumers believe AI can help them make better food choices, and innovations are proving them right. AI technology is transforming how we eat, offering both personalized nutrition advice and enhanced safety. Apps like SnapCalorie and CalorieLens allow consumers to track their calorie intake effortlessly, while simultaneously helping them make informed decisions about healthier options.
Even diets tailored specifically to your genetic makeup, microbiome, lifestyle and health goals are now within reach for everyone. AI-driven platforms are making this a reality by analyzing vast amounts of personal data, from genetic information to daily habits. Tools like Nutrigenomix use genetic testing to offer personalized dietary advice, ensuring consumers consume the right nutrients for their unique needs. Similarly, DayTwo leverages microbiome analysis to recommend foods that stabilize blood sugar levels, improving metabolic health and preventing chronic conditions.
British supermarket Tesco is planning to harness AI to offer a personalized shopping experience. In the future, they want to use AI to help customers make healthier choices and reduce their food waste. “I can see it nudging you over time, saying: ‘I’ve noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily recommended allowance. I would recommend you substitute this, this and this’, chief executive Ken Murphy explains in the Financial Times.
Beyond nutrition, AI is helping businesses to serve safer foods. Advanced technology like Sensip and BlakBear enable real-time monitoring of food safety, alerting users to potential risks and reducing spoilage. As these technologies evolve, they promise not just healthier diets but also greater confidence in the quality and safety of what we consume.
Convenient shopping with robotics and AI
4 in 10 consumers want stores to be far more automated, our global consumer survey pointed out. Luckily for them, robotics and AI are revolutionizing the foodservice and retail landscapes, offering unparalleled convenience and personalized experiences. Amazon is taking convenience to the next level with Amazon One available in grocery stores, a perfect complement to its checkout-free Amazon Go service. With Amazon One, shoppers don't need their wallets, loyalty cards, or anything more than the palm of their hands. Amazon One is made possible through advanced biometric technology. It uses custom-built algorithms and hardware to create a unique palm signature for each user.
In foodservice, there are even more tech innovations happening that speed up service for customers and make work easier for employees. QSR chain Taco Bell rolled out AI drive-thru ordering in hundreds of their US locations last year, reducing their labor costs and improving the speed of service. Delivery logistics is revolutionized by robots that bring food directly to customers’ doors with remarkable speed and efficiency. Companies like Shake Shack are offering a futuristic experience with their unmanned deliveries through Uber Eats. They use Serve Robotics sidewalk bots that look like an upright cooler box on wheels.
Guests in restaurants and cafes can come across automated beverage dispensers. These smart dispensers provide perfectly crafted coffees, cocktails, juices and soda in under 10 seconds. These solutions from businesses such as Sidework and Richtech Robotics, ensure consistent quality and simplify operations, making them ideal for bars, coffee shops or to-go locations.
As technology evolves, the possibilities for robotics and AI in retail and food service continue to expand. The first fully autonomous robot-run restaurant has already premiered. CaliExpress was a fast food outlet that used robots to cook meals at the grill and fry stations, while self-ordering kiosks provided customers with recommendations and handled payment. These restaurants without human intervention will become more common in the future.
AI food design
AI advancements and other tech developments open up endless new possibilities for the food that are endlessly fascinating to consumers. Online conversations and searches on tech-driven innovation in the bakery and patisserie industry are projected to grow by a whopping 41% in the Chinese language! But also in English and Italian we see a rapidly growing fascination for revolutionizing food tech.
It is mainly the creative possibilities tech brings to the world of pastry, cakes and sweet treats that consumers are interested in. Think of AI design and 3D printing. Frontrunner pastry chefs such as Dinara Kasko are applying generative AI technologies to develop unique and visually stunning creations. With the help of the MidJourney or DALL·E, Dinara generates out-of-this-world cake designs, which she then converts into silicone molds with the help of a 3D printer. This leads to unimaginable mousse cakes that are truly dazzling.
The most exciting use of AI that excites industry professionals is happening much earlier in the production chain. Technology is being increasingly applied to create new proteins or to modify existing ones with specific characteristics. This revolutionary protein design helps create innovative ingredients that are extra healthy, have a special texture or are plant-based clones. Startups like Shiru are at the forefront, leveraging AI to develop sustainable and efficient alternatives to traditional ingredients. Their flagship product, OleoPro is a plant-based fat ingredient that reduces saturated fat by up to 90% while improving performance in plant-based meats.
Using AI, Shiru rapidly identified optimal protein formulations, achieving in months what would traditionally take years. This groundbreaking approach not only addresses challenges like cost and scalability but also supports the transition toward more sustainable, high-functionality food solutions. This process involves using machine learning algorithms to analyze large datasets of protein structures and sequences to predict how different modifications will affect a protein's behavior, structure and function.
AI can quickly find a relationship between an amino acid sequence and the taste, texture or nutritional property of a protein. Based on these insights, a new protein can be designed or an existing one can be improved. AI can even help to simulate how these new proteins will behave in real-world applications, saving time and costs associated with lab testing.
Explore what’s next in 2025
Do you want your business to thrive this year? Explore our 2025 trend predictions for bakery, patisserie and chocolate. From bold flavor innovations to game-changing technologies, get inspired to adapt to consumer wishes and create products that perfectly hit the spot.
