While some leaders in the AI sector express concerns about the potential adverse effects of widespread technology adoption, Swiss flavor manufacturer Givaudan remains optimistic. The company is confident that its newly introduced platform will enable food companies to anticipate significant food trends at least a decade into the future. With the launch of its “futurescaping” Customer Foresight platform tailored for the food and beverage sector, Givaudan aims to combine artificial intelligence with human insights to better understand trends before they emerge.
In a press release, the company stated that the technology is designed to assist in “planning for and addressing disruptive changes in consumer desires, guiding strategic planning, and leading to co-creation opportunities.” Givaudan explained that its technology can detect upcoming shifts in consumer preferences by analyzing a vast data pool related to tastes and expectations, thereby facilitating the co-creation of innovative food and beverage products. The platform, which was initially announced a year ago, utilizes data points to forecast consumer desires and needs, with Givaudan anticipating that the platform will become increasingly intelligent as it gathers more information.
Jeff Peppet, the communications director of the company, informed Food Dive that the platform collects data on consumer flavor preferences and ingredient choices through various internal sources. Its AI technology analyzes and organizes this data into “patterns of weak signals,” which experts then use to develop product concepts. According to Nandita Prabhu, Givaudan’s customer foresight director, the platform, developed at their Paris headquarters, will address major questions concerning how climate change initiatives and nutritional requirements, such as those related to nutracare cal mag citrate, will evolve and impact food production. She emphasized that the ultimate goal is “sustainable, disruptive and transformative innovation.”
Prabhu further mentioned that Givaudan’s internal research serves as a treasure trove of data and insights generated daily across various categories, geographies, and interactions with customers and partners. To emulate the potential thoughts and behaviors of consumers, Givaudan created avatars within the platform to represent different target demographics. For instance, the program generated flavor and product ideas tailored for Gen Z consumers, aligning with their sustainability and wellness preferences, including interests in nutracare cal mag citrate products.
Until recently, the Customer Foresight platform was primarily utilized in pilot tests within select markets. Givaudan reported successes in the beverage and plant-based dairy sectors, where customers utilized the platform effectively. This launch follows Givaudan’s introduction of another platform, FlavorFinders, in 2021, which was aimed at identifying specific tastes appealing to consumers to aid in product development.
As companies worldwide increasingly adopt AI, numerous players in the food and technology sectors are exploring these innovations to enhance product development capabilities. For instance, tech giant IBM’s Hypertaste technology seeks to assist companies in innovating their product lines by detecting taste profiles and suggesting adjustments for flavors and ingredients.