Many industries are embracing technology, with unprecedented successes everywhere. It has even changed the landscape of doing business, including finding customers and in streamlining business processes. Various bold ideas have helped tech become a staple in the food industry where it can be seen as a game-changer.
GMOs and Fake Meats
There are some bold trends in food which on their own seem like paradoxes, in that they are happening at the same time. For instance, the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is growing due to the need for more productive food strains. At the same time, GMOs have created a backlash, where it is not only fashionable to be GMO-free but also imperative that the food is organically grown.
Beside the GMO dichotomy, there is also the increasing interest in vegetable-based meat products. These fake meats, technically meat substitutes, are formulated and manufactured in the lab, however, the creators have striven for authenticity in flavor, texture and eating experience.
Farm to Market and Restaurants
Tech has made all of these possible, but tech is doing more with other food industry processes as well. These tech developments are meant to bring efficiencies in the manufacture, farming, and post-harvesting of food products, as well as transporting them safely and quickly from the farm to the marketplace or the restaurant. In the restaurant, there are other improvements which involved more tech and less hands on in processes, procedures and management.
Smart Farms
Restaurants are directly affected when they choose to buy from sources that use new food technology. Top notch restaurants seek the best and freshest ingredients directly from farms. It is to their advantage if they can have the assurance of quality from their suppliers.
Farms have seen a lot of improvement with tech products from traditional farm equipment suppliers like John Deere US, Trimble and AGCO Corporation. Telematics products from these companies help farmers get the most out of their agricultural equipment. These products include monitoring and analysis systems which provide real-time updates on field conditions, weather, potential of hydrogen (pH) levels, humidity, moisture, soil conditions, with the aim of making the best use of water and decrease any potential yield loss. Some sensors serve as monitoring systems which measure reflected light off crops to determine nitrogen levels, and then trigger another system to apply the correct amount of nitrogen to the plants.
Food Transportation and Distribution
Tech in food distribution can bring more efficiency by helping to make sure that the produce is kept fresh while in transit. Food can now be tracked via apps, as well as the conditions of these ingredients while they are being transported. Restaurateurs can feel at ease to know that their orders will reach them in the best conditions.
In The Restaurant
There is a lot of data in the restaurant, including orders and feedback from customers. Knowing the amount of food to be ordered for any given night allows food establishments to take advantage of seasonal availability, as well as optimized ingredient ordering based on food costs. Driving revenue is also much easier if you know what the customers keep on ordering.
Technology for restaurants and the farms have gone a long way, and there have been great inroads to more use of varied apps. This helps farm and restaurant managers more opportunity to use their data to better deliver quality food and service to customers.
