How Technology Has Revolutionized the Food Industry
There was a time when enjoying a good meal—or finding the perfect pint—meant heading straight to a restaurant or a buzzing brewery taproom. That journey was part of the experience, however as technology evolved, so too did our options for savoring great food.
Take the internet, for instance. What once seemed like a tool for email and early web browsing now provides a seamless way to order food and drinks without even picking up the phone. Platforms designed for convenience connect us to local flavors, whether it’s pairing a Big Mac with a crisp lager or enjoying a handcrafted pizza alongside an IPA—all delivered straight to your door.
Using the internet technology related to the food business relies on a solid internet connection. This goes for both the customer and the food business owners. As a customer, you need the internet to place your order timely so that you can get your order in time. As a business owner, you need constant communication with your customers so that you can receive, process, and dispatch their orders. In both cases, it seems like Xfinity Internet service is a great option due to its sheer reliability and great speed.
Some other technological advances have revolutionized the food industry and they are shared below:
Change in Food Consumption Habits
Ever since the advent of the internet, people’s food consumption habits have changed drastically. As already mentioned in the above example, there has been a significant increase in people getting fast food online because of how easy it is to place an order and get it delivered to your house.
Similarly, this goes for not just restaurants but also for grocery shopping as well. People now prefer to do their groceries online rather than making a trip to the nearby store. This shows how much we rely on technology and the internet every day.
Integration of the Internet of Things
In layman’s terms, the Internet of Things (or IoT) is a process where all the devices are connected to the Internet and form a network with each other. This technology allows companies to look into food safety by maintaining food temperatures and all other conditions while processing food as optimally as possible.
Once this is done, the food that is processed is deemed safe for human consumption. Imagine how effective this is in preventing sickness due to contaminated food!
Popularity of Vegan Diets
Technology has not only made ordering food convenient but also made it more sustainable. For beer enthusiasts, this means the ability to explore plant-based food pairings that complement craft beers. Whether crafting a vegan meal to go with a crisp IPA or a hearty stout, technology allows consumers to create personalized, sustainable diets that are perfectly paired with their favorite brews—cutting down on meat while enjoying the vibrant flavors of the West Coast beer scene.
Opting for a vegan lifestyle can help you save the environment because according to a documentary called Cowspiracy, anyone who follows a vegan diet is responsible for 50% less carbon dioxide, 13x less water, and 18x less land than those who don’t follow a vegan diet!
The best way to integrate vegan diets online is through the internet. You can join online communities of other food lovers who follow a vegan diet and learn and educate yourself about what kind of new vegan dishes you can introduce into your life.
Use of Robots
A fan of science fiction, the idea of robots serving humans always seemed fascinating. Interestingly, that time has arrived without much notice.
The addition of robots to the food industry has allowed it to take a leap further into the future. Not only do we have chatbots to talk to but there are restaurants in Japan that have “hired” robots to serve customers! Amazing isn’t it? You just tell the robot what you want and it brings it to you and asks you how your experience is going, just like a human waiter does.
Reduction of Wasted Food
It is believed that around 1.3 billion tons of food ends up in waste every year. Imagine how all this food could feed so many other people if it doesn’t end up in the trash.
If you go to the root of the food-making process, which is farming, it is surprising to learn that IoT also has an important role to play in farming. There is a process called “Smart Farming” that allows farmers to reduce waste when growing crops.