5 Incredible Technology Trends to Improve Nutrition

January 10, 2020

5 Incredible Technology Trends to Improve Nutrition

With increasing obesity rates and a nation addicted to unhealthy foods, there is an obvious need to improve nutritional habits. Advancing technology has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, and nutrition appears to be another area that is rapidly being influenced by science. These exciting advances in technology are quickly changing and improving the way we eat.

1. Increase in Food Scanners

There are now a variety of food scanners on the market that can provide consumers with important nutritional information regarding the food they eat. Tech Times describes molecular sensors that can scan food to reveal a variety of important information. They can read barcodes to list ingredients in a product or give the nutritional value of a specific type of food.

While these scanners can currently only scan homogeneous food such as a piece of chicken or a solid piece of cheese, scanners of the future may be able to scan more complex types of food such as pizza or a sandwich. Eventually consumers may be able to have scanners built into their phones that will scan items while they’re shopping at the grocery. The scanner would tell customers exactly what type of fish they’re getting, how long it has been frozen and if it contains any harmful chemicals.

2. More Delivery Food Apps

An incredible variety of apps have been created to help customers avoid long lines at their favorite restaurants by ordering food online. A few apps that have garnered a lot of attention include GrubHub, DoorDash and UberEats. Customers can order from the menu and have delicious food delivered to their doorstep without even communicating directly with anyone from the restaurant. This will enable busy individuals to eat healthy without spending a lot of time.

There are even apps for kids to help them understand the importance of nutrition at an early age. There are apps that help children understand the connection between fitness and food, and even an app for planning a healthy picnic. There are apps designed for kids as young as two that help them recognize veggies and their nutritional benefits.

3. The Use of Nanopackaging

The Asia Pacific Food Industry cites several benefits of nanopackaging. A few include preserving food and extending shelf-life. Specific types of nanopackaging can even protect food from tampering and indicate the presence of contaminants. This can help consumers not only save money by preventing spoilage but possibly even improve the freshness and maintain the nutritional value of food.

4. Advances in Agricultural Biotechnology

Good nutrition should start at the source, and that includes technological advances in agricultural biotechnology. According to the balance, scientists are now creating foods with increased nutritional value. An example of this type of modification includes what is called Golden Rice. This specific type of rice contains beta-carotene, which enables people eating the rice to produce more vitamin A in their bodies. Besides nutrient supplementation, agricultural advances include genetically altered crops that can grow in extreme drought or cold.

5. Increase in Food Tech Startups

There’s currently a boom in food tech companies that provide everything from connecting chefs with diners to helping consumers grow their own produce virtually anywhere. Startup Grind lists several amazing food startups. Kitchensurfing and Feastly connect a variety of personal chefs and catering services with personal clients while Grove Labs and Sprouts help customers build gardens and produce quality food in their homes.

Advancing technology will help grow high quality food, store and maintain it for longer periods and then deliver it to the consumer’s doorstep with the ease of an app. These amazing advances in food and nutrition technology are likely just the beginning of what we’ll see in the near future.

Source List:

Tech Times – http://www.techtimes.com/articles/122031/20160107/this-pocket-molecular-sensor-scans-your-food-and-reveals-its-nutritional-value.htm

Eat Right – http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/healthy-eating/6-great-apps-to-teach-kids-about-nutrition

Asia Pacific Food Industry – http://www.apfoodonline.com/index.php/packaging-processing/item/1059-exclusive-exclusive-future-of-food-technology

the balance – https://www.thebalance.com/agricultural-biotechnology-examples-375753

Startup Grind – https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/disrupting-food-these-13-companies-are-leading-the-foodtech-revolution/