It’s no secret that technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and food is no exception. There are now apps for tracking calories, gadgets to make foodservice more entertaining, and many more. Technology is changing the food industry in more ways than one.
1. New cooking appliances
One of the biggest changes that is coming to the food industry thanks to technology is new cooking appliances. Every year new technologies are being created, which change how we cook and prepare our food. Some appliances allow us to replace things like ovens with something much smaller, while others actually make the cooking process itself easier.
2. Experimental food options
One of the most major changes that have occurred in the food world thanks to technology is the large amount of new, experimental foods that are being created. With just a computer and an internet connection, it’s easy for anyone to create their own recipe. This is what has allowed food bloggers to have such a large impact on the way we eat. There are even websites that help people create recipes that can eventually be made into real foods and sold at grocery stores or convenience stores. Some examples of experimental foods that have been created thanks to technology are whipped cream with nitrous oxide, bacon bits, and classic food reimagined.
3. Robotics in foodservice
Robotics is changing how we get our food and the way that the industry is run. Many restaurants are now using robots for various tasks like dishwashing, mashing potatoes, making milkshakes, serving customers drinks, etc. There is no shortage of scenarios in which robotic helpers can make life easier for restaurant employees.
4. Changes in food preservation
Food can easily be preserved through drying it out, but soon things like sous vide could replace the need for drying foods. This new method of cooking uses little to no heat, which means that dried meats will see less use than before. The result is food that lasts longer without needing to lose flavor in order to do so.
5. Changes in food quality
Due to the advancements that have been made in food technology, products that were originally manufactured with a cheaper alternative are now being replaced by their higher-quality counterparts. This means that consumers can expect more high-end products available and at lower prices than before. With this abundance of better foods becoming available to the common consumer, it is possible that eating habits will change in the near future, and we will see a lot more healthy options available.
6. Healthier food options
Another result of advancements made in food technology is the creation of healthier foods that allow consumers to eat their favorite things without compromising on nutrition. For example, scientists have been hard at work creating cheese that is healthier than the normal store-bought cheeses but which is just as tasty.
7. Changes in food transportation
Thanks to technological advancements, there are now large warehouses that can monitor their environment in order to choose equipment that will provide optimal conditions for the safe storage of food. These devices come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes and help to determine the best way for keeping food at a specific temperature or completely free from bacteria.
8. Preventing food waste
Today’s society has a large number of people who are suffering from hunger. In order to help feed these hungry mouths, technology is being used in all sorts of ways- one of them being food waste. This method is proving more and more useful every single day, as it’s helping to prevent thousands of people from going hungry.
9. Advancements in agriculture and farming
Agriculture and farming were some of the first technological advancements that humans made, and they continue to be at the forefront of modern-day advances as well. There are now machines that can cover large amounts of land in a short amount of time, which allows for farms to produce more food than ever before. However, these devices come with their own set of problems, such as requiring oil in order to run and sometimes being too expensive for small-time farmers.
10. Artificial flavors
Like many other industries, the food industry has been able to make advancements in the realm of artificial flavors. Snack foods and soda companies have been talking about these new types of flavors for a while now- ones that are supposed to taste exactly like real snacks and sodas but which require fewer calories to do so.
With the abundance of knowledge that is now available about food due to technological advancements, many people are trying new types of foods at least once over the course of their lifetime. As a result, we see a massive shift in the food industry every five years or so. There are dozens of changes that have taken place over the past couple of centuries since the beginning of technology, and there is no shortage of either negative or positive effects that these changes have caused to take place.