Pro Tip: Here are seven ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) can benefit the baking industry.
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about artificial intelligence (AI). What is it and how does it apply to the baking industry?
AI could help bakery manufacturers and bakers optimize production processes, reduce cost and improve product quality through advanced data analysis and automation. AI can help bakeries optimize their production processes by identifying inefficiencies and streamlining production. With the help of AI, bakeries can also more accurately predict consumer demand and adjust their production accordingly, reducing the amount of unsold products that go to waste. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 30% to 40% of the food we produce ends up in the landfill. Reducing waste is not only beneficial for the environment but also for the bottom line. By reducing waste and increasing efficiency, bakeries can increase their profitability and reduce overall costs. This makes the integration of AI into the bakery industry an important step towards a more sustainable and profitable future.
Here are a few ways to incorporate AI into your work:
- Recipe development and optimization: AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data on ingredients, consumer preferences and other factors to help bakers develop and optimize new recipes.
- Predictive maintenance: AI can be used to predict when bakery equipment is likely to need maintenance so that repairs can be scheduled before a breakdown occurs, avoiding downtime and increasing equipment lifespan.
- Inventory management: AI can be used to analyze sales data, consumer demand and other factors to help bakeries optimize their inventory and reduce waste.
- Quality control: AI can be used to analyze images of baked goods to ensure that they meet quality standards, such as size and shape, without needing human inspection.
- Automation: AI can help automate some of the repetitive tasks in the bakery such as kneading and proofing, allowing bakers to focus on other aspects of their work
- Optimizing production processes: AI can help bakeries optimize the entire production process, including scheduling, logistics and supply chain. This can help ensure that ingredients are delivered on time, equipment is available when needed, and baked goods are produced and delivered to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Food waste reduction: AI can be used to predict consumer demand and allow bakers to plan production accordingly, helping reduce waste by only producing the amount of goods needed.
Overall, AI can provide a wide range of benefits for bakeries, from recipe development and inventory management to customer service and supply chain optimization. By using AI to analyze large amounts of data, bakeries can make better decisions, improve efficiency and ultimately grow their business and increase profits.
Richard Charpentier is a classically trained French baker, CMB, holds a degree in baking science from Kansas State University, and is owner and chief executive officer of Baking Innovation. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
