Foodpairing uses AI to help brands predict taste and cut waste
In an industry where almost 90 per cent of new food products disappear from supermarket shelves within a year, Foodpairing is providing food companies with a significant competitive advantage.
The company uses flavour science, artificial intelligence and big data to help major players such as Unilever, Kellogg’s and Nestlé develop products that align with consumer preferences, eliminating the need for costly guesswork.
This article is part of a series highlighting innovative initiatives in Flanders. Throughout the summer, Belga English takes a closer look at emerging companies that are reshaping key sectors.
Founded in Ghent in 2009, Foodpairing was established to answer a simple yet profound question: Is there a scientific basis for why certain ingredients pair well together, and can this knowledge be used to create novel and appealing flavour combinations?
Early research revealed that molecular flavour compatibility plays a key role in determining which ingredients harmonise well together.
Advanced flavour science
Based on this insight, Foodpairing developed the Chef app, a digital tool for the culinary sectord designed for busy chefs. It enables the quick creation of original, well-balanced dishes. By embedding advanced flavour science in an intuitive platform, the app streamlines menu development, bringing cutting-edge gastronomy within the reach of everyday kitchen practice.
The company quickly gained recognition for its scientific yet culinary-focused approach. It has since evolved into a key innovation partner for the global food and beverage industry, supporting everything from new product development to reformulation.
Today, Foodpairing sits at the intersection of computational modelling and culinary creativity, offering predictive tools that can anticipate the success of a product before it even reaches the market.
Breakthrough
A major breakthrough came in 2022 with the launch of the Digital Twin platform, which is a virtual model of consumer taste behaviour. By combining AI, sensory science and a proprietary dataset containing billions of taste preferences, the platform can simulate millions of product variations in just hours.
Launched in 2024, Headspace enables companies to create and test product concepts against digital representations of their target audience much faster. This allows them to instantly determine whether their product would be liked and bought by their target audience.
New flavours
As well as creating entirely new flavour profiles, such as roast beef crisps optimised to be enjoyed with beer, Foodpairing helps brands to reformulate existing products, improving their health profiles, reducing their fat and sugar content and incorporating sustainable ingredients.
The company's technology has even been used to create hybrid meat products that offer the full flavour experience with less meat.
The advantages extend beyond commercial success. Traditional product development often involves lengthy cycles of trial and error, resulting in food waste and inefficiencies. Foodpairing’s predictive approach streamlines this process, helping companies to reduce waste and build more sustainable production systems.
With its unique combination of data, science and taste, Foodpairing is redefining how the global food industry approaches innovation, making product development faster, more accurate and more sustainable.
#FlandersNewsService | © IMAGEBROKER / FOODPAIRING
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