New Trends in Food Tech
What happens when you mix food and tech? You’ll get an interesting recipe for innovation. The combination of the biggest industry (food) and the most growing industry (tech) has set lots of new trends. Let’s explore!
But first, what is food tech?
Food tech is just what it sounds like—people applying technology solutions to make our eating, food growing, grocery shopping, or delivery experiences easier. There are some very cool deep science things happening in food tech, however, we are going to focus on some fun tech that anyone can try today.
Starting with the tech item I think that everyone should know about: Instant Pot. When I was researching this topic, I went to the best cook I know, my dad, and I could barely get him off the phone—he was so smitten with his Instant Pot! As a slow-cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, and many more things all-in-one, this device is regularly a bestseller on Amazon. Invented in 2010 by an ex-Nortel employee in Ottawa (what an interesting fact!), Instant Pot is perfect for any home cook. There is a strong Facebook page with over 3 million people sharing their experiences with Instant Pot meals. Another great Canadian invention!
Meat sensors measure the internal meat temperature and the temperature close to the food, and with newer ones, you can insert into your meals in the oven and see the temperatures right on an app. I haven't tried this tech yet, but it looks like a great way to ensure that your meat and other meals are cooked right through without opening the oven door.
Robot Food Delivery
We all know about the food tech success story, Skip the Dishes, which was founded in Saskatchewan, but using robots to deliver restaurant food is a new (and interesting) idea that is slowly gaining popularity across the province.
Tiny Mile Robots—a Toronto company—has designed robots that can deliver meals to customers on demand. They had a group of people using Xbox controllers to ensure that the robots reached their destinations. After a year of testing in Toronto, some controversial questions from the city came up about whether the robots were safe on the streets. So, the company has developed their markets in the USA (for now!). They are serving in Charlotte, NC and Miami, FL.
Close to home in Saskatoon, Yip Hong's Dim Sum is using robots to act as servers. Their $30,000 robot has helped the restaurant overcome staffing issues and was a high-tech solution that combatted the health challenges restaurants faced during COVID.
Speaking of local tech, 7Shifts is definitely one worth mentioning! Based here in Saskatoon, this top Canadian startup builds software to help restaurants schedule their staff and allow people to easily switch and manage their shifts. This technology is used by over 25,000 restaurants across North America, with over 500,000 restaurant workers using it. Another great Saskatchewan success story!
The food technology industry is booming in Saskatchewan, with new businesses and innovative ideas popping up every day. This is a good sign for the province’s tech scene in general and food tech lovers alike (like me!). I love to hear more about local food tech innovations—let’s connect and chat about what kind of tasty tech you’re cooking up!