better food thanks to artificial intelligence



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Washington (AFP) – Are you looking for the perfect recipe or a new combination of flavors that will delight the senses?

More and more food industry players are adopting artificial intelligence to better understand the dynamics of the flavors, aromas and other factors necessary for the success of a product food.

Earlier this year, IBM became a surprise entrant into the food industry, announcing a partnership with McCormick seasoning maker to "explore the territories of flavors faster and more efficiently using artificial intelligence to learn and predict new combinations of flavors "thanks to data collected from millions of data points.

The partnership highlights how technology is used to disrupt the food industry by helping to develop new products, respond to consumer preferences and provide better nutrition and taste.

"Increasingly, food companies are turning to digitization and becoming data-driven," said Bernard Lahousse, co-founder of Foodpairing, a start-up with offices in Belgium and New York, which is developing digital "cards" for food and algorithms to recommend foods and beverages. combinations.

Lahousse said his company had "the world's largest aroma database", which allows for better food forecasts, both based on human preferences and data badysis.

"Instead of using a panel of experts or a panel of consumers, we develop algorithms that can translate the way consumers perceive this product," he said.

– Digitize the flavors –

New York-based Analytical Flavor Systems uses AI to create a flavor, aroma and texture model or "gastrographe" that can predict consumer preferences for food and beverages.

The platform, which recently raised $ 4 million, aims to help companies "create better, more focused and healthier products for consumers," says founder Jason Cohen.

According to data from the AgTech Funder investment platform, the total amount of funds invested in food businesses in IA does not represent US $ 16.9 billion in 2018.

Brita Rosenheim, a food technology badyst and investor in Analytical Flavor Systems, through Better Food Ventures, said the technology could help "digitize existing data" from tasting panels and speed up the process of developing new food products.

"The typical process of food product development is long and there are many flaws in which there is no clear feedback on the market reaction, so this type of technology can help," Rosenheim said.

Foodpairing, for example, offers its "flavor intelligence" card based on molecular badysis: a dry-processed Spanish ham, for example, has elements described as "cheese-makers" or acids, while beets have a profile. aromatic "woody" and "caramel".

According to Mr. Lahousse, one of the most outstanding recommendations in the badociation is oysters and kiwi, which have become a delicacy at a reputable Belgian restaurant.

"Foodpairing identifies all the possible deals, but the food is cultural and personal," he said. "That's why we also use consumer behavior to make badociations more relevant when working with food companies."

– Basilica of MIT –

Researchers at the Mbadachusetts Institute of Technology have shown how AI can be helpful in determining optimal growing conditions by growing basil-flavored superfood, and hope to adapt it to other products.

"Artificial intelligence could allow us to use faster than ever extensive sets of detailed agricultural information data to improve our food crops," said John de la Parra, head of the Department of Agriculture. Open Agriculture Initiative of MIT.

Matthew Lange, a lecturer at the University of California at Davis and head of the IC3 Foods research center on food informatics, is working on data standards for food properties.

"I see a lot of people who apply machine learning to developing recipes for flavor and nutrition," Lange said.

According to Lange, this could be even more important with better standards and data sharing to map aromas and flavors, opening up new possibilities for "personalized" foods and recipes with better flavors, nutrition and coloring power.

"If we are able to" replicate "the flavors and aromas, it will create a real explosion of technology and business models," he said.

"Imagery can compose (the favorite flavors and flavors) to create a sauce to your taste," he said. "Maybe you want to create something to get an idea of ​​the beach, so it becomes an experience."

MIT of Parra said that the notion of custom foods by the AI ​​is not likely.

"Personalized food at the individual level is a noble goal," he said.

"To be well done, it would take a lot of personal data, most of which could be complicated by issues of privacy and security.It is more likely that, in the near future, AI will be used to predict major trends in consumption and tastes. "

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