-
How AI is changing the food and beverage industry
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageAn increasing number of food and beverage companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to stay productive and profitable. It is impacting many aspects of the industry, such as production, distribution, marketing, consumption, packaging and storage. The increase in AI usage is such that the global AI market in food and beverage is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 42.18 percent through 2021.
-
Food supply chain is bee-ing naïve about pollinator decline
Shawn Smajstrla Food & BeverageThe declining bee population isn’t news. Scientists have tracked a diminishing number of bees and other pollinators for years. Some fear extinction is on the table for these insects, and the impact could be far worse than losing a species. The deteriorating numbers of pollinators could have catastrophic results on food supplies, and thus the food supply chain. Just how important are these creatures?
-
Machines are replacing humans at work, but can it be an opportunity?
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementWelcome to the era when machines begin replacing humans at work. In restaurants and hotels, machines or robots are already capable of performing many service jobs. Likewise, travelers can now make reservations for their hotel stays online, perform self-check-in on a mobile app or in a kiosk at a hotel, enter the hotel room with their mobile app, place orders for service deliveries, and check out on a mobile app or the TV in the guest room.
-
Female food and beverage entrepreneurs bring unique products to market
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageWomen-led food and beverage companies are changing the way we think about the industry. Women are go-getters, they are focused and they are generally more empathetic than their male counterparts. It is no surprise to see that the leading and emerging women-led businesses in this sector have a similar goal in mind — promoting wellness and health. From fighting disease to creating healthy post-workout snacks and more nutritious lunches for school children, they are shaping a healthier future for all.
-
The keto diet: Almost 100 years of eating fat and how it changes lives
Heather Linderfelt Sports & FitnessWriting about ketogenic eating and not sharing my story on the effects it had on my life seems like an impossible task. Some associate it with the paleo diet, but paleo is easier. Currently, the keto diet is the "it" girl in diets. Products are being labeled keto diet-approved. Some of the meal delivery services are now including keto diet options. However, the ketosis diet history dates back almost a century. It began as a way of eating to manage epilepsy.
-
Straws are at front lines of plastic reduction war
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe U.K. Parliament is taking steps to ban all sales of single-use plastics, including plastic straws and Q-tips, as early as next year. Prime Minister Theresa May announced the ban, noting that plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges the country faces. The ban is part of a larger effort by the U.K. to eliminate avoidable plastic waste as part of a 25-year environmental plan, designed to help to clean up England's rivers, beaches and oceans from plastic, which is often ingested by marine life.
-
Can Blockchain bring back trust to the food industry?
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageFour food companies from Australia and New Zealand recently formed a consortium with online retail giant Alibaba. They have announced the launch of a new food-tracking system that uses Blockchain technology. Using the technology widely known from cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the companies will offer improved supply-chain traceability and transparency. Blockchain’s immutable central ledger will help them build a trusted platform for cross-border trade. In the process, they stand to rebuild and enhance consumer confidence.
-
Fentanyl deaths rise as narcotics shortage continues
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareAs healthcare facilities continue to experience shortages with injectable narcotics, researchers report that synthetic opioid deaths have now outpaced prescription drug overdoses. It seems counter-intuitive — how can facilities be short, but deaths in the community continue to rise? As with much of the opioid crisis, the problem is complicated.
-
The future of food safety depends on transparency
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageFood scares continue to happen — like the current recall of Romaine lettuce in the U.S. that has gotten 84 people sick — and consumers are setting higher expectations for safety, sustainability and quality. The Future Food-Tech conference, held in March, showed that the industry is deeply focused on a safe and sustainable supply chain. A key task for achieving this is to increase the transparency of the entire system.
-
How will Chinese tariffs affect manufacturing?
Delany Martinez ManufacturingIt's often said that in war, there are no winners — and in trade wars, that axiom tends to ring particularly true. In an escalation that leaves manufacturers caught in an unenviable position, the administration's struggles with China are starting to lap at the edges of the loading dock.
All Food & Beverage Articles