Report Reveals Scarcity of Retail Innovation

From number-crunching untold volumes of data to helping streamline inventory, supply chain, and predictive market trends, there is no digital limit to what AI can help operators achieve.

Beyond Meat Unveils “Beyond IV” Beef Boasting Clean Label Certification

Beyond Meat has announced its latest innovation, Beyond IV, the fourth generation of the company’s core beef platform. The new recipes are the result of a multi-year research effort to improve the taste and nutritional quality of Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef.

Tasting the Future: Food Fermentation Breakthroughs

From regulatory approvals in animal-free dairy, to a new snack made with air protein, fermentation is making major moves in the new year. What could the recent headlines signal for the future of food?

Key Takeaways from the Fruit Logistica Event

Thousands of people just recently descended upon Berlin, Germany for the world’s largest produce show – Fruit Logistica – upstaging even Fashion Week taking place that week as well.

Understanding the Current Blood-Sugar Monitoring Craze

Recent diet “hacks” to minimize blood sugar spikes are inspiring perfectly healthy consumers to start glucose monitoring.

Is Self-Checkout a Consumer Terminator? Retail, Robots, and More in 2024

There’s also an interesting feedback loop occurring in American consumerism – the tighter the budget becomes, and the more stressed people feel, the more demands they have regarding how they’d like to be accommodated while shopping.

The Fungi: Mushroom Varieties Captivating Consumers

Things keep looking up for mushrooms. The versatile fungi continue to proliferate across meals-at-home, CPG, restaurant menus, and food tech.

Study: The AI Revolution Within F&B Industry Could Take a While

Note to restaurateurs looking to AI: If you’re going to use robots as servers, make sure the aisles between tables are wide enough to allow a robot and human to pass simultaneously. A few inches …

Can Ghost Kitchens Be Resurrected?

Has the would-be darling of the pandemic-era – ghost kitchens – been resurrected by a partnership between Denny’s and Franklin Junction?

Walmart Defines Adaptive Retail, the Next Evolution in Shopping

“Choose a future that puts people first – if we keep doing that, we can help people around the world live a better life. That’s what we want to do – that’s the world we want to help create.”

10 Top Trends and Innovations from CES 2024

CES 2024 wasn’t solely a showcase of robots and gadgets; it also served up a tantalizing array of innovative food technologies and trends that are set to redefine the way we eat.

‘Ottobots’ Roll Out: Autonomous Delivery on Full Display at CES

LAS VEGAS – Tech startup Ottonomy’s shopping-cart-sized delivery robot Ottobot, introduced last year, unveiled a new capability at this week’s CES Show: the ability to dispense beer and other drinks. The Ottobot has been delivering …

Seen at CES 2024: AI, and Everything Else

This week, The Food Institute’s CEO, Brian Choi, and Digital Media Director Susan Choi are attending the hottest trade show in North America – CES 2024, presented by the Consumer Technology Association. This year’s show …

Preparing for Launch: CosMc’s and the Next Wave of Beverage Chains

In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.

CES 2024 Preview: Expect Big Turnout, AI Exhibits Galore

Brian Comiskey, an exec with the Consumer Technology Association, recently sat down to chat with FI about the upcoming CES 2024 Show.

2024 Tech & Digital Trends in Restaurant & Retail, Part 2: The Cold Chain

“Today’s warehouses often have the three D’s – they are dull, dusty, and dangerous…automation and simulation environments can support operators in performing their jobs more efficiently and in safer work environments.”

The Age of Retail Media Networks 2.0 is Already Here

The second wave of retail media networks is already upon grocers and retailers – and CPG makers could be among those to benefit the most.

CEOs’ Secrets to Success in the New Year

“Remember that running a food and beverage business can sometimes be akin to ‘buying yourself a job;’ it may not always guarantee immediate or substantial returns on investment.”

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 …