The author, a gastronomy expert, presents the advances, trends, and applications that are promoting better nutrition. From clear labels to ‘stress-free’ meals.
Technology is here to stay. Or, rather, technology – applied to all everyday areas – is already part of us and will not stop in its search to simplify our lives. If we talk specifically about Food Technology, there are many innovations that we find in the market, both for the mass consumption segment and for the corporate sphere. Let’s see, then, what are the main advances and developments that will allow us to nourish ourselves better and in a more sustainable way?
Advances in Food Technology
First, we are going to focus on the most important advances that Food Technology has had in recent years. From the digitalization of systems and processes linked to food production, quality control, and food safety, to the arrival of artificial intelligence and robotization, the advances achieved in this aspect are enormous.
In terms of food safety, the new biological methods –bacteriophages– used for food preservation stand out. In terms of food science, a trend that seeks maximum quality with minimum cost and environmental footprint, the effects of pressure – applied to the different components of food – have made it a perfect tool for transforming food processes.
We can also talk about the so-called “active packaging”, that is, packaging with different properties, such as biocides, antioxidants, or gas absorbers, which are capable of chemically or biologically interacting with the food product and improving its useful life.
Other important advances have been microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation technologies for the design of next-generation ingredients, the key to the development of natural additives, product stabilizers, and more.
Finally, we will mention innovations such as irradiation – very useful for the conservation of packaged products –, new edible coatings, and ultrasonic cutting, which improves the quality of the cut surface in food.
Trends in consumption and products
At the same time that food technology catches up to date in terms of process updating and innovation, consumer trends also accompany these changes.
Of course, capturing these new trends in food allows companies to identify new business, innovation, and development opportunities for future launches, just as we do at Gama Gourmet. As a company providing cutting-edge gastronomic solutions for the corporate sector, we are aware of the importance of always staying up to date with market developments. Among the new consumer trends, we can find, among others:
1) Stress-releasing foods
They are new and provide us with emotional benefits, such as calming and comforting us, and they range from chewing gum with herbal extracts to green tea ice creams, to vitaminized juices and other similar products that offer to reduce fatigue and stress.
2) Transparent labels
Consumer distrust about the origin and content of the products they buy every day has forced companies to be honest about their ingredients and production processes. For this reason, “transparent” labels are beginning to become more and more prevalent, as are online surveys to know precisely what consumers are looking for.
3) Food kits
This idea, implemented by several innovative companies, includes a box with the ingredients in exact quantities, along with various recipes and even suggestions for presenting the dish. An easy, comfortable, and sustainable alternative for today’s consumers, which does not waste food and allows you to customize combinations to create unique proposals.
4) Online Convenience
Nothing like shopping from the comfort of your armchair, right? A consumer trend that is imposing, especially now that smart accessories, such as voice applications, allow us to place orders more easily and receive them at our doorstep. Or, the shopping applications included in some appliances, such as refrigerators with touch screens, which allow us to make and pay for our purchases online without leaving home.
Another important novelty regarding online sales is that carried out by several companies in the sector, which are analyzing a new food processing technology that would represent a lucrative business: MATS technology, which is based on thermal sterilization assisted by microwave, and would allow the preparation of meals with long shelf life, which do not require refrigeration and guarantee easy distribution.
5) New textures
Now, texture also serves to increase the attractiveness of products. From chewy drinks to creamy ice creams with crunchy sprinkles that “explode” in your mouth, everything serves to capture consumers’ attention through new interactive consumer experiences.
6) Laboratory foods
Driven by care for the environment and new ways of eating, the foods of the future are developed in laboratories, such as vegetable burgers that look, smell, and even release juices in the same way as a traditional meat burger.
7) Technology without human intervention
It is one of the great trends of the future for restaurants. It seeks to ensure that many of the processes currently carried out by people are carried out by machines and robots. There are already hotels without staff that use robots to interact with customers, or fast food restaurants where all orders must be placed by machines. Or the most extreme case of a restaurant chain without waiters or cashiers, where all purchasing and payment processes are digitalized.
8) Virtual gastronomy
A new gastronomic dimension, which offers virtual consumption experiences. Thus, we can enjoy completely edible 3D prints, which imitate the aroma, flavor, and texture of each food, but without the calories of the original.
Applications that nourish health
We are what we eat, there is no doubt. Technology is also present when it comes to helping us choose how we eat, and what we can or cannot consume according to our personal characteristics.
As we know, our current pace of life changes our eating habits.
Currently, the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber has been reduced. And added to the high sodium consumption, the result is a greater number of people with high blood pressure, risks of heart disease and stroke.
That is why it is essential to know what we are consuming. For that, there are various applications on the market that interpret the information contained in the barcode of each product. These applications analyze the fats, sugars, preservatives, additives, and sodium indicated on the label, and give us a report detailing their nutritional characteristics.
In the case of people with celiac disease, they must also be careful about the products they consume. But now, people intolerant to gluten (proteins present in wheat, oats, barley, and rye) also have specific applications, that allow them to know if a product is suitable after scanning the barcode. And for those allergic to other products such as crustaceans, dairy products, eggs, fish, etc., technological proposals have also been launched that help them eat correctly.
In addition, there are applications to determine the amount of “trans fats” present in industrial foods, such as baked goods, margarine, and snacks, among others, and applications that allow us to know the caloric intake of the products we buy.
Outside of the field of applications, we find other intelligent products, such as a kitchen spatula that is capable of measuring salinity and tracking our salt consumption with a smartphone.
Technology against waste
In today’s world, we cannot afford to waste food. However, this happens often. And to avoid this, technology gives us endless applications aimed at reducing food waste. Basically, we can divide them into three types: those whose purpose is to contact consumers and merchants for purchases of surplus food or donations; those that allow us to manage our purchases and food consumption in the most convenient way, track waste, and report offers in supermarkets; and, finally, those that allow us to connect with people, companies and organizations to make donations of what we are not going to consume.
In the same sense, work is also being done on the development of smart labels, which can be integrated into paper and plastic packaging, and are capable of detecting contaminants present in food and their early deterioration. An innovative technology that, in addition to its numerous applications, will allow the detection of bacteria, mycotoxins, and many other contaminants.
These advances, added to new food preservation techniques, new packaging, the use of clean technologies, and the early detection of defects and failures in production lines to avoid waste, are some of the most important innovations in food technology. to reduce food waste.
The future of food
Beyond technological advances that allow us to manage our purchases in the most convenient way, eat better, and waste less food, it is also important to become aware of our habits and consumption models.
The best use of resources, recycling, and valuing everything we produce will also be key factors in generating a true movement of food and social innovation that includes us all.
