Dairy Processing - November/December 2024 - 48

OPERATIONS
as snacks, supplements or meals that
meet specific health requirements.
Nestlé, Vevey, Switzerland, uses
January AI, Menlo Park, Calif., digital
twin technology as it considers AI
for product innovation, such as
personalized nutrition for those
with special considerations such
as diabetes.
According to January AI, the food
industry has the potential to enhance
the taste and texture of food, as well
as its glycemic impact on the body, by
using its digital twin capabilities.
" The fastest bucket to get is
really around digitizing marketing
and sales, " Nestlé chief financial
officer Anna Manz said while speaking
during a presentation at the Barclays
Global Consumer Staples Conference
in September. " In the old world, we did
focus groups. In the new world, we have an AI virtual
consumer that we can test a lot more against, much more
quickly. There's significant efficiencies that we're already
liberating using data and AI in a very different way. "
January AI, a metabolic health platform, looks at the current
landscape as a crisis, heightened by rising healthcare costs and
an alarming statistic from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
that 37.5 million Americans (roughly one in ten) have diabetes,
with one in five unaware that they have the condition. It's a
grim picture, but one that January AI has set out to change by
promoting well informed eating with generative AI.
Acquiring data about consumers' blood sugar responses to
certain foods is an expensive effort, but it is becoming much
cheaper and easier through AI.
A collaboration between Mars, Inc., McLean, Va., and January
AI is designed to unlock valuable information to guide product
formulation and positively affect public health at the same time.
The project will use January AI's tools and the company's
R&D capabilities to predict responses to a wide range of
different foods and formulations, explained Darren Logan, PhD,
vice president of research, Mars.
For those who are prediabetic or who already have diabetes,
it means being able to identify trends and patterns in the data
and use them to determine healthier food options.
CONSUMER RESPONSE
AI can be used to analyze the sensory aspects of food, such
as taste, smell, texture and appearance. Through machine
learning, AI can predict how a consumer will respond to
48 NOV-DEC 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
In the old world, we did focus
groups. In the new world, we have an
AI virtual consumer that we can test a
lot more against much more quickly. "
Anna Manz, Nestlé
a product based on these factors, helping companies finetune
flavors or textures to maximize consumer acceptance.
AI can also simulate how different ingredients interact to
create the desired sensory profile, which accelerates product
development.
French dairy giant Bel Group announced in 2023 it entered
into a partnership with Climax Foods, Berkeley, Calif., an
AI-driven food startup founded by former Google head of data
science and astrophysicist Oliver Zahn.
The collaboration seeks to harness the power of AI to
develop plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy products
that offer the same taste, mouthfeel and nutritional profile as
their animal-based counterparts.
AI's role in food development is expanding, from
formulating new products, to optimizing production processes
and creating personalized food solutions. As food innovation
continues to evolve, AI helps companies meet changing
consumer preferences, drive sustainability, and improve food
safety and quality. Ultimately, AI is shaping a future in which
food products are healthier, more sustainable and more
tailored to individual needs.
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Dairy Processing - November/December 2024

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