Study: Food and Beverage Industry Prioritizes Product Innovation

A new study reveals that when the food and beverage industry invests in new technology, product-centered innovations are a priority while health and wellness has become a core principal, which could indicate a tide of change in the focus of development teams for the coming years. 

Leatherhead Food Research's publication, "Emerging Technology in the Food and Beverage Industry," surveyed the food and beverage industry about what objectives are currently the most important when considering investment in new technology. More than 55% of respondents said the main technology innovations needed concerned the product, either to deliver better quality or launch new products. 

Health and wellness is no longer the domain of the innovators, but is a mainstream trend that is considered the core of any development activity, the report notes. Meanwhile, product-centered innovations outweigh greener agendas for investment in emerging technology. 

When asked, "Which of these objectives are currently the most important when considering investment in new technology?" the respondents cited investments in efficiency, productivity and sustainability as well as salt and fat reduction. According to the study, the groupings suggest that the respondents, in general, believe that green agendas can't be met by the current manufacturing platforms and that the reductions in salt and fat via existing strategies are at their maximum.

With ever challenging targets such as salt reduction, it is possible that the industry will have to look at alternatives, such as nanoparticles, to achieve new levels of functionality and delivery, the study concluded. 

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