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manufacturing and product development teams. Without someone to drive the change, AI will just be relegated as just another side project, instead of a strategic tool.
Another key challenge is bridging the gap between AI developers and the food scientists who will use these tools daily. Ensuring both groups understand each other’ s needs is essential for successful adoption. This is where specialized platforms, including our own, can offer real value, especially when compared to general LLM models.
7. As you mentioned, AI needs someone to pioneer it within the company to see the full benefits, and in fact there have been growing concerns around companies“ AI washing”. How should food companies look to adopt AI technology mindfully, rather than just hopping on a trend? AI works best as an assistant used alongside a food scientist’ s expertise, rather than as a replacement. The real value comes when AI is applied to clearly defined R & D tasks, such as reformulation, optimization, or regulatory response, rather than being used in an open-ended way.
At the same time, the AI landscape is evolving extremely quickly. That means organizations need clear ownership, with someone responsible for tracking developments and understanding when new capabilities meaningfully change what’ s possible. As more advanced forms of AI emerge, they will further expand what these systems can support, including within food R & D.
Companies should still focus on practical, measurable applications where AI can reduce iteration cycles, improve decision quality, or reuse existing knowledge. When AI is embedded into a structured system and governed properly, it becomes a reliable support mechanism rather than a source of risk or noise.
8. Finally, what do you think 2026 has in store for the food industry? I think that one of the biggest shifts will come from the growing penetration of GLP-1 therapies, including oral formulations, which are already changing eating habits and portion sizes for large segments of the population. That shift will force food companies to rethink existing products and develop new ones for consumers who simply can’ t eat the way they used to. In this context, reformulation isn’ t just about nutrition on paper; it’ s about creating foods that work physiologically while still delivering a satisfying sensory experience. This is where combining objective data with human sensory feedback becomes especially important.
At the same time, we’ re seeing rapid growth in functional categories such as electrolyte products, energy and caffeinebased drinks, and nutrition designed around metabolic health, microbiome support, or medical-adjacent use cases. These products often sit at higher price points and margins, but they also demand a much more precise R & D approach.
From our perspective, 2026 won’ t just be about making better food. It will be about adapting to fundamentally new consumption patterns, where speed, confidence, and sensory understanding all matter more than ever. ■
David Sack www. aka-food. com
AKA Foods is a pioneering food tech company transforming how new food products are created. AKA Studio, its proprietary platform, combines advanced artificial intelligence with real human sensory data to accelerate research and development across taste, texture and aroma. Unlike generic AI tools, AKA integrates each company’ s tacit knowledge and disparate data sources into a private and secure system. This unique approach enables food companies to shorten development cycles, cut costs and deliver better products that consumers love.
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