Artificial intelligence is the central topic for many in the meat and poultry industry when considering the farm-to-fork supply chain, said Rick Stein VP of fresh foods at the Food Industry Association in a blog post.
He said that according to the association's research, the food retail industry is finding more ways to use technology to meet its biggest needs across many areas, including operations and customer experience. In 2022, roughly 85 percent of retailers were experimenting with new technologies to improve the customer experience, up from 73 percent in 2021, according to The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2023.
This drive for new technologies has led many to adopt AI practices: approximately 25 percent of retailers and more than 33 percent of suppliers leverage artificial intelligence for customer data, with 60 percent of food suppliers and 23 percent of food retailers embracing AI in some way.
Although it is unclear how AI will best be utilized in the meat and poultry industries, “This broad technology can be used to optimize cutting in meat processing facilities and to determine optimal flavor combinations in value-added products,” according to Stein. “At the store level, retailers can rely on AI to better predict demand for right-size assortments and pricing.” Full Story
Related: Report: Specialty Food Retailers Set to Grow; Starbucks Accepts Reusable Cups