The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) has released the white paper, THE FUTURE OF FOOD: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Food Manufacturing, summarizing outcomes from the inaugural AI for Food Product Development Symposium held at the University of California, Davis.

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes global industries, its impact on the food system is becoming transformative — redefining how foods are formulated, processed, distributed, and perceived. The symposium brought together leaders from academia, industry, and government to explore how AI can accelerate innovation across the food manufacturing value chain while promoting health, sustainability, and efficiency.

Discussions spanned predictive modeling, digital twins, and data-driven formulation, as well as AI tools for personalized nutrition and consumer preference prediction. Participants emphasized the need for interoperable data standards, explainable models, ethical governance, and a digitally skilled workforce capable of integrating data science with food domain expertise.

The white paper outlines five key thematic areas shaping the future of AI in food manufacturing:

1. Supply Chain – real-time quality monitoring, traceability, and circular economy applications.
2. Formulation & Processing – hybrid AI–physics models for predictive design and adaptive control.
3. Consumer Insights & Sensory – linking chemical composition, structure, and human perception.
4. Nutrition & Health – predictive, personalized models for precision nutrition.
5. Education & Training – fostering AI literacy, ethics, and interdisciplinary skills.

Participants identified challenges such as fragmented data systems, lack of governance frameworks, and a persistent skills gap — but also agreed on the need for collaborative infrastructures and shared benchmarks to accelerate progress.

→ Read the full white paper

→ View recordings from the symposium talks