|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Major shift from conventional food tech to advanced future tech
|
|
Tuesday, 16 December, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Dr Priyanka Kale
|
The food and beverage (F&B) industry is experiencing a major shift from conventional food technology focused on processing, preservation, packaging, and quality control toward advanced future technologies that integrate digitalisation, automation, biotechnology, sustainability, and data intelligence. This transformation is reshaping the entire food value chain: from raw material production to manufacturing, logistics, and consumer interaction. The F&B industry is transitioning from conventional food technology to a future built on digital intelligence, biotechnology, smart automation, and sustainability.
This transformation unlocks opportunities for safer foods, reduced waste, better nutrition and improved global food security. As industries adopt future technologies, the entire food ecosystem from production to consumption becomes more resilient, efficient, and consumer-driven.
The food and beverage industry is undergoing a profound technological evolution driven by global demands for safety, sustainability, efficiency, personalised nutrition, and resilient supply chains. Traditional food technology—rooted in thermal processing, preservation, food chemistry, and basic automation—is now merging with advanced digital, biological, and green technologies. This article explores the shift from classical food technology to future technologies such as AI, biotechnology, precision fermentation, automation, Industry 4.0/5.0 practices, and sustainable processing innovations.
The global F&B industry has historically relied on conventional technologies such as pasteurisation, canning, drying, extrusion, and basic packaging. While these methods ensured safety and extended shelf life, they often faced challenges such as energy intensity, nutrient losses, labour dependence, and environmental burden. Recent breakthroughs in digitalisation, industrial automation, data analytics and green processing technologies are redefining every stage of the food value chain from raw material production to consumer experience. This transition is not merely technological but structural, reshaping business models, workforce skills, and sustainability strategies.
Evolution of Traditional Food Technology
Traditional food technology forms the foundation of modern food systems. Key components include- Processing and Preservation; Thermal treatments (pasteurisation, sterilisation); Drying, freezing, extrusion; Fermentation; Chemical preservation; Membrane separation; Quality and Safety Systems; HACCP, GMP, GHP; Physicochemical testing; Microbiological analysis; Manual sensory evaluation; Packaging Technologies; Canning, bottling; Plastics and basic multilayer films.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
These technologies ensured safety and shelf-life but are limited by high energy usage, nutrient loss, labour dependency, and environmental impact.
Drivers of Transformation
Several interconnected drivers push the F&B industry toward future technologies: Rising global food demand; Climate change and resource limitations; Sustainability requirements (carbon reduction, water efficiency); Demand for minimally processed, clean-label foods; Labour shortages and need for automation; Consumer interest in personalised nutrition; Requirements for traceability, transparency, and food safety.
Future Technology Transforming the F&B Sector
Industry 4.0 and Digitalisation
Digital transformation is central to the modern food industry- Technologies; IoT sensors for real-time process monitoring; Digital twins for simulation of processing lines; Predictive maintenance using machine learning; Smart warehousing and automated logistics; Blockchain for traceability; Impacts; Reduced energy consumption; Minimised wastage; Better quality consistency; Higher supply-chain transparency.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI/ML are used for: Process optimisation (heat transfer, drying, mixing, fermentation control); Quality inspection through vision systems; Nutritional and sensory prediction models; Automated formulation of products (e.g., sugar or fat reduction); Demand forecasting and supply-chain optimisation; Biotechnology and Precision Fermentation.
Biotechnology is redefining ingredients and food production. High sustainability, improved efficiency, and ability to produce high-value ingredients without animals or large farmlands.
Applications
Alternative proteins (microbial, plant-based, fermentation-derived casein/whey)
Genetically engineered microbes producing flavours, vitamins, enzymes
Cellular agriculture: cultured meat, milk, eggs
Biotransformation to create functional foods and nutraceuticals
Advanced and Green Processing Technologies
Future processing focuses on minimising energy use, maximising nutrition, and delivering fresh-like quality. These methods offer better nutrient retention, reduced thermal damage, and longer shelf-life.
For example-High Pressure Processing (HPP); Pulsed Electric Field (PEF); Ultrasonication; Ohmic heating; Cold plasma; Membrane distillation and forward osmosis; Automation, Robotics and Smart Manufacturing.
Automation is increasingly used in: Sorting, grading, cutting, and packaging; Autonomous cleaning systems (CIP 4.0); Robotic arms in slaughterhouses, bakeries, dairies; AGVs (Autonomous Guided Vehicles) in logistics.
Sustainable Technologies and Circular Food Systems
Sustainability is one of the biggest transformation forces - By-product valorisation (proteins, fibres, biogas, bioplastics); Water recycling and minimal-loss systems; Renewable energy in food plants (solar thermal, biomass boilers); Biodegradable and compostable packaging; Smart packaging with freshness sensors; Personalised Nutrition and New Consumer Technologies.
Future food systems are consumer-driven and customised.
Digital nutrition platforms; Smart beverages and automated dispensing systems; Nutrigenomics-based diets; 3D food printing for medical or personalised meals; AR/VR for product experience and education; Integration of Multi-Disciplinary Technologies.
Modern F&B systems integrate multiple technologies simultaneously. This convergence marks the transition from classical food technology to Food Technology 5.0, focusing on sustainability, intelligence, and human-centric design.
AI + Digital Twins ? autonomous factories
Biotechnology + Robotics ? precision ingredient production
Smart packaging + IoT ? real-time shelf-life prediction
3D printing + Personalised nutrition ? individualised meals
Challenges in the Transformation
Despite rapid advancements, the industry faces limitations: High investment cost for advanced technologies; Skill gap in digital and biotech domains; Regulatory hurdles for novel foods; Data security and cyber threats; Consumer acceptance of lab-grown and AI-made foods; Need for harmonised international standards.
Future Outlook
The future of the F&B industry will be defined by:
Fully automated, self-optimising production lines; Sustainability-driven processing and packaging
Zero-waste circular manufacturing; Large-scale adoption of alternative proteins; Real-time traceability from farm to plate; On-demand personalised nutrition.
The transformation from traditional food technology to future technology marks a shift toward smarter, more efficient and more sustainable food systems.
(The author is assistant professor, MIT College of Food Technology, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. She can be reached at priyankakale665@gmail.com)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|