The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the food & beverage industry has accelerated unlike any other technology and is projected for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.7% from 2024 to 2033. From simple applications like feedback loops, allowing for continuous improvements, to performing highly complex functions of finding mechanisms of action for a health benefit, AI guided innovations are becoming an integral part of the food & supplement industry. At the product end, AI is being used to increase food safety standards and to improve the accuracy of food labels. On the consumer end, AI is predicting consumer trends to help provide best-selling nutritional solutions to consumer demands. Predictive and prescriptive AI models are helping to enhance consumer experience and identify novel compounds for human health. Sustainability, a global initiative, also gets a boost from AI that helps reduce food waste. Brightseed, a bioactives company, uses its Forager AI platform to discover novel bioactives and provide in-silico predictions on their commercially viable plant sources and their potential mechanism of action that might impart health benefits in humans. One of the most recent Forager discoveries include the bioactives N-trans caffeoyltyramine (NCT) and N-trans feruloyltyramine (NFT), identified in hemp hulls, and shown to be Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4a (HNF4a) agonists. Expressed in the liver, small intestines, pancreas, and kidneys, HNF4a regulates gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, and gut barrier function. There is no debate that AI, a disruptive technology, is catapulting the food & supplement industry into the next century.
Dr. Swati Kalgaonkar is an expert in the field of Nutritional Science, holding a PhD, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in Nutritional Endocrinology from the University of California, Davis. With over 15 years of industry experience, her portfolio encompasses a diverse array of research and communication in the areas of bioactives, gut health, immune health, cognitive health, healthy aging, cardiometabolic health and quality of life. Dr. Kalgaonkar's clinical expertise spans the execution, supervision, and clear communication of clinical research pertaining to healthcare products and whole foods across international markets.