Some apps, like MyNetDiary, WeightWatchers and Simple feature AI photo scanners that help users to ... [+] track nutrition and calories in their food.gettyAI trends are revolutionizing the food industry, from production and safety to personalized diets and smarter supply chains. As companies tackle food waste, safety concerns, labor shortages, and evolving consumer demands, the AI-driven foodtech market is projected to soar to $27.73 billion by 2029. This surge is fueled by the push for tailored nutrition, stricter safety standards, supply chain optimization, and sustainability, marking a new era in the way we feed the world.From food innovation tools like KLEVER AI, Ai Palette, and TasteGPT, or research tools like Googles Gemini AI which assists users in discovering new restaurants, "artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the global food ecosystem operating behind the scenes in ways consumers rarely notice," says Tamsin Deasey Weinstein, a strategic advisor specializing in the application of AI across sectors and markets.With diabetes platform SNAQ rolling out AI-powered meal glucose predictionallowing users to anticipate their glucose response before taking a bite and Spore.Bios ability to identify bacterial concentrations in food and drink within seconds, its no surprise that AI in the food and beverage industry is exploding. Set to grow at a 34.5% annual rate through 2034, AI-driven foodtech is outpacing the overall AI market and redefining the way we eat. Sid Mehta, adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia and CEO of Greenworks, predicts that AIs role in fostering efficiency, sustainability, and innovation within the food sector will only continue to grow.This transformation extends beyond restaurants and consumer health, with major food manufacturers also embracing AI to optimize their operations. Companies like Danone are partnering with Microsoft to enhance logistics and streamline production, while consumer-facing tools like Spoon Guru help individuals meet their nutritional needs. Mehta highlights the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) for its role in supporting AI adoption across the industry, from improving food safety and supply chain efficiency to refining pricing strategies. Meanwhile, startups like Stocky AI are using AI to revolutionize inventory management and minimize food waste, further demonstrating the technologys far-reaching impact on the food ecosystem.Here are some of the most significant (non-agricultural) AI trends in food.AI Trends in Food PreparationWith labor shortages and high turnover in the food industry, restaurants are increasingly adopting AI-driven automation to boost efficiency and meet consumer demand for convenience. AI-powered robotic chefs can now measure ingredients, speed up cooking times, and ensure food safety without human intervention. At the University of Tokyos JSK Robotics Laboratory, researchers have developed a robotic system capable of frying an egg by following a recipe, while Aniais Alpha Grill, winner of the 2023 Kitchen Innovation Award, can cook eight burger patties in under a minute with a double-sided grill and built-in auto-cleaning features. AI is also transforming home kitchens, with innovations like Moley Robotics automated chef and smart apps that analyze grocery purchases for personalized nutrition insights. From ChatGPT-generated recipes to advanced robotic cooking systems, AI is revolutionizing food preparation by making it faster, safer, and more convenient.A humanoid robot uses a toaster to toast bread at the 2025 Global Developer Conference on February ... [+] 21, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)VCG via Getty ImagesAI Trends in Food DistributionAs food costs rise due to new tariffs and labor shortages continue, many distributors are looking for ways to cut costs and improve efficiency. Choco, a startup focused on improving the food supply chain, has launched Autopilot, an AI tool that helps food distributors process orders without manual input. Autopilot automatically reviews incoming orders, checks their accuracy, and either processes them immediately or flags them for review. This reduces the need for workers to manually enter orders, allowing them to focus on other tasks. Since launching Choco AI in 2023, the company has worked to streamline order management across voicemail, SMS, WhatsApp, and email.Autopilot is the first AI agent in food distribution," says Dan Khachab, CEO & Co-founder of Choco. "It makes its own decisions, processes orders instantly, and keeps distributors in full control. AI agents will redefine how food distribution operates, and Autopilot is the first step.AI Trends Driving The Shift To Healthier DietsThe Kirin Flavor-Enhancing Electronic Salt Spoon, which uses a weak electric current to concentrate ... [+] sodium ion molecules in food for increased Unami and salt flavor in low-sodium foods to encourage a lower salt diet, unveiled ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 5, 2025. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesAI is transforming nutrition, making healthier diets more accessible and sustainable. Tools like Fuddle, an AI-powered meal planner and cookbook assistant, help users create customized recipes based on dietary needs, allergies, and available ingredients. Similarly, AI-driven personalized nutrition app, RxDiet, develops custom food plans and delivers fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, Kirins Flavor-Enhancing Electronic Salt Spoon enhances the taste of low-sodium foods by using a weak electric current to concentrate sodium ion molecules, encouraging reduced salt intake.Using molecular innovation, AI is also allowing producers to recreate traditional foods with healthier, more sustainable ingredients. AI allows us to deconstruct traditional foods into their molecular components, then rebuild them with alternative ingredients that are healthier, more abundant and less damaging to us and the environment, explains Deasey Weinstein. Cheese is one such product going through molecular innovation, thanks to AI. We all want to enjoy an abundance of cheese without the calories; or for many, the dairy.According to Deasey Weinsten, producers are able to recreate foods (such as cheese) using plant-based or lab-grown ingredients, through the use of algorithms that analyze flavor compounds, identifying key molecules for taste, texture, and melting, making AI-engineered versions nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Using these principles, AI-engineered food allows for the removal of allergens, reduced environmental impacts, and enhanced nutritional profiles while retaining flavor. Deasey Weinstein highlights NotCo in Latin America and Climax Foods in North America for their AI-engineered animal product alternatives that closely mimic the taste and texture of traditional dairy and meat.Deasey WeinstenTamsin Deasey WeinstenAI Trends in Quality Control and Food SafetyAI is revolutionizing food inspection and quality assurance, improving contamination detection, ensuring product consistency, optimizing shelf-life predictions, risk prediction, and compliance monitoring to enhance public health and safety. Nestls AI-powered visual inspection systems are redefining quality control in food production, while Danones partnership with Sight Machine has enhanced real-time monitoring in dairy plants. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is exploring the use of AI to detect food-borne illness outbreaks by analyzing online restaurant reviews for mentions of symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, as well as specific food items. In a recent study, UKHSA scientists assessed different AI models to evaluate their ability to identify and classify relevant text in thousands of reviews. Since many cases of gastrointestinal illness go undiagnosed, AI could help provide a more comprehensive picture of outbreak sources and trends. Meanwhile, companies like Coca-Cola (through its investment in AI startup Agnext) are improving quality checks for beverages, and Unilevers acquisition of Carver Korea is advancing AI in cosmetic food production.AI Trends in Fast Food OperationsGarfield food delivery robots with Uber Eats promoting the new 'Garfield Movie' while delivering ... [+] food around the neighborhood on May 14, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)GC ImagesArtificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the fast-food industry, enhancing efficiency and redefining customer experiences. Over the past decade, AI-powered kiosks, digital menus, drive-thru automation, and delivery innovations have become standard, with major chains heavily investing in next-generation technology. Wendys plans to expand its FreshAI drive-thru system to 600 locations by 2025, using voice recognition to streamline orders. Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, has launched Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven software suite improving online ordering, kitchen management, and delivery logistics. Meanwhile, McDonalds is integrating AI-powered drive-thrus, order accuracy tools, and smart kitchen systems across its 43,000 locations to enhance speed and efficiency. As restaurants embrace AI-driven operations, delivery platforms are doing the same Uber Eats uses AI to optimize routes, predict arrival times, and personalize recommendations, while in Los Angeles, Serve Robotics autonomous sidewalk robots are now handling food deliveries for the Uber Eats platform.In addition to fast food, AI-driven robotics are also making their mark in coffee service and meal vending. The Second Cup Coffee Company is launching Mozo, a robotic barista, in Beirut, enhancing efficiency and consistency in caf service. Meanwhile, the Chulchul Box, a robotic chef vending machine, delivers hot gourmet meals in just 90 seconds, catering to demand for speed and quality in urban dining.AI Trends in Food SustainabilityGlobally, AI is helping to reduce foods environmental impact by cutting food waste and optimizing supply chains. Spains AI-driven fermentation startup, MOA Foodtech turns waste into functional foods, while Tomorrow, a Seattle-based startup is disrupting the refrigerator category, using AI to prolong the shelf life of produce. AI enhances demand forecasting and logistics, with retailers like Coop and Carrefour using Googles AI tools to cut food waste, while Unilever adopts Googles Tracemark platform to improve supply chain transparency and combat deforestation.Investors are capitalizing on the AI-driven food sustainability trend. In London, Sustainability Consultancy, Bright Tides Sustain.AI Accelerator is creating a collaborative ecosystem between entrepreneurs and private sector leaders, while EIT Food, a European initiative for sustainable food innovation, invests in AI-driven solutions that help to make the food space more sustainable.EIT Food supports several startups harnessing the power of AI to develop solutions to environmental, health, and food safety related challenges, says Marie Russier, Head of Entrepreneurship Programmes at EIT Food. "In Netherlands for example, food tech company OneThird has developed AI-empowered, infrared scanners that can determine the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. The company has set a goal of preventing 150 million kg of food waste by 2027, and estimates that its technology would save millions of euros for growers and hundreds of millions for retailers. By supporting entrepreneurs to develop and scale AI-powered innovations, and empowering actors across the food supply chain to integrate these technologies into their operations, we have the opportunity to shift towards a more sustainable, healthy and resilient food system.AI Trends in Fighting Malnutrition And HungerWFP's HungerMap LIVE system combines advanced analytics and data visualization to provide a ... [+] centralized, interactive platform with insights on food security at global, regional, and country levels.World Food ProgrammeAI is emerging as a powerful tool in tackling malnutrition and food insecurity, says Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Swiss NGO that strives to reduce malnutrition by improving access to healthier diets, particularly for vulnerable populations. Haddad highlights AIs potential to accelerate the search for more nutritious and resilient food species, enhance public policy through better data visualization, and provide real-time insights into dietary habits and nutrition program coverage.UN agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) are leveraging AI in the fight against hunger. HungerMap LIVE uses big data and predictive analytics to monitor and forecast food security in near real-time, while GeoTar, currently deployed in Afghanistan, Chad, and Bangladesh, utilizes satellite and drone data to improve targeting accuracy for food assistance. WFPs AI Sandbox initiative further fosters innovation and collaboration, allowing experts to develop and scale AI-driven solutions for food security challenges.Risks and DangersWhile AI has the potential to revolutionize the food industry, its implementation requires careful oversight to balance innovation with accuracy, ethics, and consumer trust. AI-driven automation in fast-food operations has already faced setbacksMcDonald's, for example, halted its AI-powered drive-thru experiment after encountering issues with order inaccuracies, underscoring the need for continuous refinement and customer acceptance.In nutrition, AI presents both opportunities and risks. Lawrence Haddad warns that AIs reliance on internet-sourced data can fuel misinformation, reinforcing unhealthy eating habits and amplifying unqualified sources. The potential for harm is enormous, he cautions, stressing the importance of collaboration between nutrition experts and AI specialists to mitigate risks. While AI can automate tasks, Haddad points out its limitations: Robots can be taught to fold laundry, but they will never replicate the human bonding that happens during breastfeeding. Without proactive leadership from the nutrition community, he warns, nutrition will lose out.Beyond accuracy and trust, AI raises deeper concerns about control over food system data. Research suggests that data-driven food policies often prioritize output over systemic equity, reinforcing corporate-driven food production while overlooking community-based solutions. As AI continues to shape food policies, it risks favoring corporate-driven models of food production over more equitable, community-based approaches. Understanding these dynamics is essential to ensuring that AI serves broader societal goals rather than deepening existing disparities.The FutureAI is rapidly transforming how food is produced, consumed, and experienced, yet its full impact is still evolving, paving the way for a future of precision nutrition that tailors diets to individual health needs.As this technology evolves, Deasey Weinstein says that the line between nutrition, medicine, and food itself will continue to blur, transforming the food ecosystem and the way we think about what we eat.I believe that within seven to ten years, a substantial portion of the population will consume diets precisely matched to their biological profiles, she predicts. Already, companies like January AI are using individual health data to predict how specific foods will impact blood sugar without the need for invasive monitoring. As AI continues to advance, food will likely no longer be a one-size-fits-all experience.AI is poised to drive a shift towards an industry that shifts from mass production to precision nutrition, where food is no longer just about calories but a tool for enhancing health and longevity.AI trends in the food sector go beyond just making processes faster and cheaper they are revolutionizing what we eat, how we produce it, and ultimately, how food fits into the broader human experience and the planet as a whole.