The Secrets of Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing in retail requires patience, data diligence, and knowledge of the local market, and consumers are receptive of the practice.

2024 Tech & Digital Trends in Restaurant & Retail: Part 1

There is no new normal and innovation will continue to advance at lightning speed.

3 Key Cybersecurity Tactics for 2024

According to the 2022 Internet Crime Report by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the potential total loss from cybercrime in the U.S. increased from $6.9 billion in 2021 to more than $10.2 billion a year later. Current projections suggest that the cybercrime problem will only worsen.

Analysis: Automation Could Cure Labor Shortages in Manufacturing

Automation offers companies the opportunity to attract talent with the right skills and assign those skills to the most appropriate areas of the business.

Loitering Encouraged: Have a Seat at the C-Store

The contemporary C-store is not just a place of commerce and connection, but community and expanded food/bev services. No Loitering signs are giving way to invitations to pull up, sit down, and stay a while.

AI, Automation and Growth Mindset Key to 2024 Plans

What do food companies need to do to ensure growth in 2024? While there’s no clear-cut answer, many appear focused on deploying artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, automating processes where possible, and maintaining an agile growth …

How F&B Companies Can Leverage Generative AI

Generative AI burst onto the scene this year as programs like ChatGPT, Bard, and Midjourney demonstrated the vast potential of this emerging technology. Many experts predict that generative AI will soon transform how businesses operate, making right now the perfect time to get ahead of the competition.

Analysis: Why Web 3.0 Could Reshape the Food Industry

Web 3.0 could revolutionize business practices, including the food industry, but how does it differ from the versions that came before it?

AI Chatbots Are Coming to a Food Delivery App Near You

The race to integrate AI chatbots into third-party food delivery apps is on, but major players like DoorDash and Uber Eats are holding their cards close to their chest, for now. Neither company has publicly …

Rock the Block(chain): NFTs in Food and Beverage

The heck is an NFT? Their precursors in the ‘90s were called pogs – often cheap and of limited variety for the average consumer, easily tradable and without much long-term staying power. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) …

What’s Next in Precision Fermentation?

The global precision fermentation market is predicted to grow at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 40.5% between 2022 – 2031. The dairy sub-segment is expected to dominate, while increasing consumer preference for plant-based meat is anticipated to fuel growth over the long-term.

Retail Media Networks Are Poised to Explode

Believe the hype – major American retailers and grocers are spending big money on retail media networks (RMNs). Walmart has Walmart Connect. Target reaches consumers using Roundel. Kroger has its Precision Marketing network, Albertsons its …

Top 5 Highest-Grossing U.S. Fast-Food Chains

Average unit volume (AUV) speaks to a chain’s operational efficiency and overall success, indicating the average annual sales that a brand earns per restaurant—a reflection of how consumers feel about the brand itself. These are the top five highest-grossing fast-food chains in the U.S. by AUV.

Can Microalgae ‘Ghost Proteins’ Resurrect Alt-Meat?

Food tech startups are developing new techniques to transform microalgae into “ghost protein,” a powerful alternative protein source with an undetectable, completely neutral flavor.

Column: Why Google’s New RT-2 Robot Could Transform the F&B Industry

Innovation is the driving force that shapes the landscape of the food and beverage industry, and as the Innovation Advisor at The Food Institute, I’m committed to exploring the latest advancements in this dynamic field. …

Precision Fermentation Steals the Show at IFT FIRST

Animal-free proteins made through precision fermentation and cell-cultures were seemingly everywhere at the recent IFT FIRST event in Chicago.

Why Mixed Reality Could be a Business Game-Changer

When Apple unveiled its Vision Pro headset in June, tech experts reacted with hyperbole. Optimists claimed the mixed reality device is likely to replace smartphones someday. Cynics, on the other hand, scoffed at the product’s …

3 Key Takeaways from IFT FIRST 2023

CHICAGO – Product developers and food scientists from over 70 countries learned about the latest in food ingredients and technologies recently at the IFT FIRST 2023: Annual Event and Conference. The Institute of Food Technologists …

How Soon Will Cultured Meat Impact Plant-Based Sales?

As the gate to cell cultured meat sales swings open in the U.S., what’s in store for the alt-meat sector? The Food Institute checked in with Jennifer Bartashus at Bloomberg Intelligence to discuss potential market implications in the months ahead.

FI Exclusive: UPSIDE Foods COO Sees Meat’s Future as Cultivated

Amy Chen, CEO for UPSIDE Foods, feels the company’s process for cultivating meat could have not only a major impact on food production, but also on the environment.

Is Sustainable Superfood Kelp About To Make Waves?

Kelp is a sustainable superfood with all the qualities that appeal to today’s consumer, but it hasn’t really hit the mainstream—at least, not yet.

Can Buzzfeed’s AI Chefbot Save Your Kitchen?

Tasty enjoys over 1 billion cross-platform views each month and is widely regarded as the most robust and user-generated food community and platform on the internet. That the big cheese of big apps and data is involved with AI recommending food choices and providing budget and grocery tips should not surprise anyone.  

4 Generative AI Tips from CPG Trailblazers

How is the food industry responding to the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence? The Food Institute gathered four takeaways from industry trailblazers at the recent Generative AI Food Pioneers Summit, hosted by food and …

Research Shows Gen Z Welcomes Loyalty Programs, Sharing Data

Gen Z and millennials may be coming into their own, but those aged 18-43 differ markedly from both Gen Xers and baby boomers when it comes to restaurant habits, and attitudes toward loyalty programs. A …

Report: AI Poised to be Business Boon

We haven’t quite hit the promise of HAL in “2001,” but generative artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize nearly all aspects of business, including the food industry. A recent report from McKinsey & Co. predicts …

Analysis: Is Third-Party Delivery Becoming a Duopoly?

The third-party delivery market has had a large number of competitors over the years, but it looks it’s headed toward becoming a duopoly.

Emerging Tech a Hot Topic at Digital Food & Beverage 2023

The recent Digital Food and Beverage conference illustrated that first-party data and AI are fast becoming transformative tech drivers of industry evolution.

Analysis: Is AI Destined to Revolutionize Labor?

There’s nothing artificial about the hype surrounding AI. The technology that spawned the wildly popular ChatGPT chatbot has food industry leaders intrigued. Yet, most executives seem intent on tempering expectations regarding AI reshaping the workforce. …

Lifelong Vegetarian Tries Lab-Grown Wagyu Beef

Vegetarian and FI business writer, Christine Zulkosky, sampled Ohayo Valley’s lab-grown wagyu beef at the Vegan Women Summit in Brooklyn, NY.

QR Codes: ReliQ or Revolutionary?

How, and why, should some businesses do away with table- or barside QR codes, and what should be expected from both business and consumer? The QR Qonundrum doesn’t have to be an all-in or all-out decision, however – a hybrid approach, using lessons from the business side of the pandemic and the consumer side of hospitality, may be a viable way forward for businesses large and small.

3 Key Trends on Display at 2023 National Restaurant Association Show

CHICAGO – A majority (62%) of foodservice operators are currently understaffed, according to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Restaurant Industry Report, 2023. Foodservice operators gathered in Chicago for the 2023 National Restaurant Association …

Study: Lab-Grown Meat Potentially Worse for Environment than Retail Beef

If proper technology and facilities can be developed to lessen the current emissions costs of lab-grown products, then yes, the research team found cultured meat to be much more environmentally competitive and with a potential wide range of applications. Today, though, the scientific/environmental/cultural jump “from pharma to food” remains an expensive and taxing endeavor for mother Earth.

Food Waste: Investment in Upcycled Food Gaining Steam

The process of upcycling food – finding new, higher-value uses for items that would otherwise go to waste – appears to boast untapped potential for businesses these days.

How to Reduce Waste While Monetizing Your Side Streams

This article is sponsored and written by GTF Technologies. By now, everyone in the food industry knows that 30-40% of food produced1 and almost half of all fruits and vegetables grown worldwide2 go to waste. …

Execs Offer 4 Steps to Survive a Recession

With some financial experts predicting a fairly significant downturn soon, here’s advice for recession-proofing your business.

The Future of 3D-Printed Food Looks Sweet

Engineers at Columbia University have demonstrated the future of digital cooking by 3D printing a seven-ingredient slice of cheesecake.