McCormick has partnered with IBM to use artificial intelligence (AI) for new flavour and food product development.
With IBM technology, McCormick said its product developers will be able to explore flavour territories more quickly and efficiently using AI to learn and predict new flavour combinations from “hundreds of millions” of data points across the areas of sensory science, consumer preference and flavour palettes.
McCormick expects to launch its first AI-enabled product platform, One, by mid-2019, with a set of initial one-dish Recipe Mix flavours, including Tuscan chicken, bourbon pork tenderloin and New Orleans sausage.
The One platform has been developed to deliver family-favourite flavours with the ability to season both proteins and vegetables. The new seasoning blends are expected to be on US retail shelves by late spring.
McCormick’s flavour developers created the new product platform by combining IBM’s expertise in AI and machine learning with its own sensory science and taste data, which includes decades of past product formulas and millions of data points related to consumer taste preferences and palettes.
Lawrence Kurzius, McCormick CEO, said: “McCormick’s use of artificial intelligence highlights our commitment to insight-driven innovation and the application of the most forward-looking technologies to continually enhance our products and bring new flavours to market.
“This is one of several projects in our pipeline where we’ve embraced new and emerging technologies.”
IBM vice president of industry research Kathryn Guarini added: “IBM Research’s collaboration with McCormick illustrates our commitment to helping our clients and partners drive innovation across industries.
“By combining McCormick’s deep data and expertise in science and taste, with IBM’s AI capabilities, we are working together to unlock the bounds of creativity and transform the food and flavour development process.”
McCormick said it aims to share data with peers around the world and upscale the technology globally by 2021.
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