Application of artificial intelligence (AI) in food industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. With teeming competition and increasing demand in the food industry, the industry has begun to embrace AI technologies in a bid to maximize profits and explore new ways to reach and serve the consumers. AI has been successfully deployed for applications such as sorting fresh produce, managing supply chain, food safety compliance monitoring, effective cleaning in place systems, anticipating consumer preference and new product development with greater efficiency and savings on time and resources. However, there are challenges to adoption of AI technologies which include cost, cultural changes, expert skill requirements, transparency issues and one track minds. Despite these challenges, researches are on-going on optimized production process using AI but it is important to note that the benefits of AI application in food industry greatly outweigh its challenges.