Latest Developments in Food Technology

Groundbreaking advances in key areas of food technology continue to inspire and amaze across every sector of the industry.  While acknowledged that human creativity remains an important component, the emergence of artificial intelligence is increasingly viewed as a key component of food production, chain optimisation and personalised nutrition. Another development is the growth in alternative protein sources, including plant-based, cell-based and fermentation-derived proteins. Innovation to combat food waste, including upcycling and smart packaging, continues to evolve apace, along with controlled environment agriculture and a rising focus on carbon-neutral food production practices.

In the UK, Fentech Agri is at the forefront of the changing agricultural landscape, providing farmers with tailored solutions to address their needs and support transition towards sustainable and profitable farming practices. It’s thought that by embracing increasing use of precision agriculture technologies, 2025 will see farmers able to capitalise on growth opportunities.

At the helm of Chinese agricultural technology, Guangzhou-based XAG, is dedicated to using robotics and artificial intelligence. XAG’s newly launched P150Pro/P150s/P60Pro agricultural drones can perform fully autonomous agricultural operations in large fields and orchards.  Automated equipment enables farmers to gain remote control via a mobile phone app, delivering the desired amount of fertilizer to crop roots at a prescribed time while controlling water supply.

Image courtesy of XAG

French dairy company Bel Group is introducing a carbon-neutral cheese product, utilising regenerative farming practices and renewable energy. Teaming up with probiotic manufacturer Lallemand, consulting firm Protial and Avril Group, together they plan to develop fermented and aged plant-based cheese for dairy free products that replicate traditional options. Bel Group CEO Cécile Béliot commented: “In a time when the agri-food industry faces urgent challenges around resource preservation and planetary limits, Bel is committed to offering more sustainable food without compromising on nutrition or taste. Innovation is essential to the future of food.” The €9 million “Cocagne Project” has already received backing from Bpifrance as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s carbon neutrality-focused “France 2030” programme.

Israel has developed technology to address the threat of global drought and food crisis, typified by the disastrous drought in Ghana. Israeli company Netafim has developed drip irrigation technology which delivers water directly to crop roots, minimising water waste and maximising efficiency. Elsewhere companies like SupPlant have developed AI sensors to monitor soil moisture, plant health and weather conditions in real time, ensuring farmers are productive regardless of challenging conditions. Applying technology to greenhouse farming is another area where Israel leads, whereby farmers can grow crops faster and more sustainably in controlled environments.

A palm oil alternative from microalgae is the exciting conception from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Working in partnership with Eves Energy, 1.2 million tonnes of microalgae oil, and equivalent quantities of algae cake, could be produced in bulk by late 2026. The 3,000 sq. km production facility will be located on Indonesia’s Seram Island in Malaku Province. Eves Energy Chief Executive officer Lanz Chan explained that microalgae can absorb 400 times more CO2 than trees, is a good source of edible oils and protein and has capacity to double in mass every few hours. Phase two of the project is scheduled as Professor Chen plans to accelerate growth of the microalgae, using food waste to feed the microalgae in a fermenter, a device commonly used in urban farming.

In Korea a fantastic system has been devised by start-up Fainders.AI to end the frustration of supermarket queues and hailed by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups as the ‘baby unicorn’ of automated store solutions. Customers simply place trolley contents on the counter; a camera recognises the items and payment is completed by inserting a card without a need for scanning each barcode.   CEO Ham Myungwon said, “Our goal is to provide convenience to store customers and boost profitability for distribution companies and store owners through AI.” The counter has already made a successful debut at the recent World Food Tech Expo held at the COEX Mall in Seoul’s Gangnam-gu District.

US food tech firm Oobli has partnered with global ingredients supplier, and KLBD client, Ingredion to produce ‘better for you’ sugar alternatives with sweet proteins that don’t impact the glycaemic index. “We’ve long been at the forefront of innovation in sugar reduction solutions, and our work with sweet proteins is an exciting new chapter in that journey,” said Nate Yates, VP of sugar reduction and fibre fortification at Ingredion, and CEO of its Pure Circle stevia division. The two companies have co-developed and tested several products to expand the potential for sweet proteins and stevia and will be showcasing a multitude of creations at San Francisco’s Future Food Tech event in March.

The prestigious ‘Growing Further Awards’ 2025 in Dublin recognised achievements of industry leaders shaping the future of the food retail supply chain. India’s BillionCarbon triumphed in the Production category for groundbreaking work on waste conversion technology. In the words of the company ‘Decarbonising the Food Supply Chain By Nutrient Mining from Food waste’.

Luminaries in Food Tech investment highlighted 50 trends to look out for in 2025, including insect-based proteins (not kosher), food as medicine and cost-competitive biomanufacturing. These and a myriad of exciting innovations will be showcased at October’s World Food Tech Expo trade show in Seoul, South Korea.