Business Daily.
.
The Property Pack
A+ R A-

The Futuristic Foodie - A Bite-Sized Guide To Tasty Tech


Technology has the ability to transform and develop the many areas of our lives that it touches. From automation to efficiency, technology can often provide interesting solutions to common problems in ways that humans couldn’t previously achieve or imagine.


The food and beverage industry is a sector which has seen upheaval and change driven by technological advancements. From production methods to home cookery, the way we engage with food and drink is changing, and will continue to change well into the future.


Reinventing The Wheel


Technology is often inspired by existing devices and methods and a process of constant reinvention. When it comes to cookware of the future, much of the focus is on creating devices which make food preparation easier, and which make the cooking method more akin to restaurant quality food (for example, this infrared technology grill uses advanced tech to overhaul a barbeque in a way which makes professional quality food accessible at home).


Other items which have received a modern, techie makeover are refrigerators (with integrated internet connectivity so that you can ‘talk’ to them), toasters (with sensors to detect optimal cooking level) and the humble frying pan (with a coating developed to ensure non-stick really means non stick).


Off The Grid


Another key factor in the development of food and beverage technology is the movement towards downsizing and going ‘off-grid’. These lifestyle changes (which are becoming more commonplace) are not without their own technological draws.


The tiny house phenomenon has given rise to a class of food gadgets which are multi-purposed, small in form, and able to be installed across a range of layouts - meaning that precious space can be utilised most effectively. They’re often more energy efficient too, which is important for anyone considering their impact upon the planet or their carbon footprint.


Coffee makers have also been given a low-key tech twist, with electricity-free contraptions now able to generate the type of result more complex, resource hungry devices are traditionally used for. Other devices are created with solar power in mind - even fridges are now available in forms which harness the power of the sun to keep your food cool.


Lab-Grown, Home Grown


In a nod to the distant, high tech world of Soylent Green, meat can now be grown in a lab - and it’s suitable for human consumption. This wave of ethical, eco-friendly food science is aiming to lower the greenhouse emissions of traditional livestock producers (who contribute massive amounts of methane to the atmosphere) by providing a viable, meaty replacement which comes without the same ethical side-serve currently accompanying carnivorous fare.


Laboratory grown food has long given us hybrid cultivars of vegetables, and produce which is capable of withstanding the onslaughts of pests and harsh pesticides. It’s also currently being utilised to sequence the genomes of ‘heirloom’ produce, so that they can be recreated in case of future extinction or disaster.


Technology is also assisting home food growers and those interested in food security. Automatic watering systems which are climate sensitive can adapt to changing conditions with minimal human input, meaning that water and temperature fluctuations are more easily responded to.


Technology has the power to improve the way we grow, consume and store our food and beverages. It also has the ability to influence our food trends by providing convenient, cheap and accessible modes of cooking. As more sophisticated next-generation devices come onto the market, we are given greater choice as to how we want to interact with our food, our resources, our ethics, and our planet.


Business Daily Media