Gitnux/Report 2026

AI in Food Industry Statistics

See how AI is reshaping food industry decisions with numbers that move in 2025, and notice the gap between what companies expect and what’s actually happening. If you care about where automation delivers real gains versus where it stalls, these statistics make the contrast hard to ignore.
279Statistics
103Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
49mRead
November 10, 2026Updated
AI in Food Industry Statistics
Gabrielle FontaineWritten by Gabrielle Fontaine·Edited by Marie Larsen·Fact-checked by Yumi Nakamura
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The ai in food industry at a glance

AI in foodtech reached $8.58 billion in 2025 and is expanding rapidly across food production, processing, supply chains, restaurants, safety, and personalized nutrition.

$8.58B[90]
AI foodtech market, 2025
34.3%[90]
Market CAGR, 2025–2026
82%[27]
Restaurants increasing AI investment, 2025
26%[53]
Shoppers using AI for grocery lists, 2025
Market size
The global AI in foodtech market reached $8.58 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $11.53 billion in 2026. The market includes AI solutions and services for food production and processing, product development, supply chains, food safety, restaurants, and personalized nutrition.[90]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is forecast to grow from $8.58 billion in 2025 to $37.12 billion in 2030, representing a 34% compound annual growth rate. The 2025–2026 growth rate is estimated at 34.3%.[90]
Market share & regions
North America was the largest regional market in 2025. Available market reporting identifies North America as the leading region but does not disclose a reliable percentage share in the accessible source.[90]
Segmentation
AI in foodtech is segmented by component into solutions and services; by application into production and processing, product development and innovation, supply-chain management, food safety and compliance, and other uses; and by end user into food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants and foodservice providers, and other users.[90]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Food-industry professionals identified AI investment as a major 2025 digital-transformation priority: 50% said their companies planned to invest in AI. The leading adoption drivers included reducing labor costs at 34%, improving supply-chain visibility at 17%, responding to market changes at 16%, and reducing waste or improving sustainability at 16%.[6]
Consumer behavior & competition
In a June 2025 Tinuiti survey, 26% of food and beverage shoppers had used AI to create a grocery list and 24% had used it to find a recipe. More than half had used AI for at least one food-related activity, rising to 76% among Gen Z respondents.[53]
M&A
M&A activity is extending AI into food distribution, restaurant analytics, and food-waste management. Pepper acquired AI-focused food-distribution software company Alima in March 2026 with undisclosed terms, Foodics completed its 100% acquisition of Norma AI in June 2026, and Winnow acquired Asia-Pacific food-waste technology company Lumitics in August 2026.[91][92][93]
Regulation
The European Commission stated that enforcement of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act by the AI Office and national authorities would begin on August 2, 2026. Food companies using AI therefore face expanding requirements around governance, risk management, transparency, and compliance, depending on the system’s classification and use.[8]
Latest news
Recent industry developments include Foodics completing its full acquisition of Norma AI in June 2026 and Winnow acquiring Lumitics in August 2026. These deals reflect continued consolidation around restaurant intelligence and AI-powered food-waste measurement rather than a single dominant platform market.[92][93]
report visual · Comparison

U.S. consumers' response to interest in using artificial intelligence to make safe and nutritious food and beverage choices

Somewhat agree holds the largest share at 37%.

Somewhat agree37%
Strongly disagree22%
Somewhat disagree19%
Strongly agree13%
Not sure9%
source-verifiedific.org

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Ai In Food Industry

The leading companies in the ai in food industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Miso Robotics leads Gitnux's 2026 ai in food ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 34% revenue growth. Circus Group is the highest-ranked autonomous food production systems maker at 9.3, driven by 500% revenue growth.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in kitchen robotics

    Miso Robotics

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Kitchen robotics

    Why we picked it: It builds commercial-kitchen AI robotics, including the Flippy fry station, aimed at operations throughput.

    See in ranking ↓Visit misorobotics.com ↗

  2. Leader in autonomous meal production

    Circus Group

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Autonomous meal production

    Why we picked it: Its CA-1 system autonomously produces fresh meals using integrated AI and robotics.

    See in ranking ↓Visit circus-group.com ↗

  3. Leader in food vision & picking

    Oxipital AI

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.2 · Food vision & picking

    Why we picked it: It applies AI vision to food quality inspection and robotic picking for food-processing workflows.

    See in ranking ↓Visit oxipitalai.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the ai in food industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Miso Robotics

Kitchen robotics · US

9.5
2

Circus Group

Autonomous meal production · DE

9.3
3

Oxipital AI

Food vision & picking · US

9.2
4

NotCo

AI food formulation

9.2
5

Chef Robotics

Meal-assembly robotics · US

8.7
6

Aniai

AI burger-grilling robots for restaurants · KR

8.5
7

Nala Robotics

AI robotic chefs for restaurants · US

8.3
8

Posha

AI countertop cooking robots for homes · US

8.2
9

TechMagic

Cooking robots for restaurants and foodservice · JP

8.2
10

Picnic

Robotic pizza assembly for commercial kitchens

7.5

How we score

  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the ai in food industry. In AI In Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ai-in-food-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

This section emphasizes AI moving into implementation: 39% planned AI within 12 months in 2025, and 82% cited adoption as strategic priority in 2025.

AI in the ai in food industry

  • 22% of food manufacturing companies were already using artificial intelligence or machine learning in 2025, while 39% planned implementation within 12 months.[1]
  • 9.6% was the 2024 profit growth reported by food and beverage companies already using AI, compared with 7.3% among companies with no AI plans or still investigating.[2]
  • 54% of UK and Ireland food and beverage companies were in the process of implementing AI at the end of 2024.[3]
  • 28% of UK and Ireland food and beverage companies were already using AI at the end of 2024, up from 6% at the end of 2023.[3]
  • 41% of food retailers and 69% of food suppliers reported using AI in the United States in 2023.[4]
  • 97% of food and beverage businesses were at least investigating AI in Q3 2024, while more than one-third were already using it globally.[2]

Automation in the ai in food industry

  • 56% of North American food and beverage companies wanted to increase traceability through automation in 2024.[2]
  • 48% of North American food and beverage companies still partly or completely relied on manual processes to trace products in 2023.[2]
  • 46% of North American food and beverage companies wanted to improve inventory-level management through technology in 2024.[2]
  • 60% of North American food and beverage processors, manufacturers and distributors were using technology to automate more tasks in 2023.[2]
  • 34% of North American food and beverage processors, manufacturers and distributors planned to increase automation in 2024.[2]
  • 21% was the increase in industrial-robot installations by U.S. food and beverage companies in 2024.[5]

Digital Transformation in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 34% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals said manufacturing process or assembly had been positively affected by digital transformation technologies in 2024.[6]
  • 40% of 423 food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their organization’s biggest operational barrier in 2026.[7]
  • 28% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals reported positive effects from digital transformation technologies on food-safety preventive controls in 2024.[6]
  • 82% of food and beverage leaders said technology adoption was a strategic priority, while 6% reported fully integrated digital systems, in a 2025 survey.[7]

Technology Adoption in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 50% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in artificial intelligence as part of their 2025 digital-transformation strategies.[6]
  • 31% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in robotics or robotic process automation in 2025.[6]
  • 23% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in mobile-app technologies in 2025.[6]
  • 22% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in machine-learning software in 2025.[6]

Cloud Computing in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in cloud computing or enterprise resource-planning software and systems in 2025.[6]
  • 18% of food manufacturers were already using cloud-based manufacturing-execution systems, while 51% planned implementation, according to a 2025 industry survey.[1]
  • 39.5% of EU enterprises in accommodation and food-service activities used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[8]
  • 52% of food processors and manufacturers were considering cloud technology, while 45% reported no cloud use, in a 2023 industry survey.[9]

Big Data in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 47% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals identified gathering, analyzing, and leveraging data for data-driven decisions as a digital-transformation investment driver in 2024.[6]
  • 35% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in big data and real-time analytics in 2025.[6]
  • 13% of food manufacturers were already using advanced-analytics or big-data platforms, while 44% planned implementation, in a 2025 industry survey.[1]
  • 24% of food-manufacturing respondents were very familiar with advanced analytics, while 34% were moderately familiar, in CRB’s 2025 survey.[10]

Blockchain in the ai in food industry

  • 43% of surveyed food-industry companies were researching, planning or piloting blockchain adoption in 2024.[11]
  • 6% of surveyed food-industry companies reported that blockchain was already used in their businesses in 2024.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

This section shows that AI value depends on data handling: 77% prioritized improving data quality in 2023 and 41% cited disconnected systems and data as the biggest barrier in 2026.

Business intelligence in the ai in food industry

  • 1% of sales was the average technology investment by food retailers in 2024, representing more than $10 billion overall.[4]
  • 41% of food retailers reported using AI in 2023, according to FMI survey data.[4]
  • 94% of food suppliers used data analytics in 2023, according to FMI’s food-retailing technology research.[4]
  • 69% of food suppliers reported using AI in 2023, according to FMI survey data.[4]
  • 47% of food retailers and 93% of food suppliers reported using artificial intelligence in FMI’s latest food-industry technology data.[4]
  • 1.5% of sales was the technology investment reported by food suppliers in 2024.[4]

Data analytics in the ai in food industry

  • 25% of food-manufacturing survey respondents cited energy-consumption patterns and peak-usage alerts as a high-value analytics use in 2025.[1]
  • 23% of food-manufacturing survey respondents cited quality-defect detection and root-cause analysis as a high-value analytics use in 2025.[1]
  • 21% of food-manufacturing survey respondents cited equipment-failure prediction and prevention as a high-value analytics use in 2025.[1]
  • 33% of food-manufacturing survey respondents said data analytics provided the most value in identifying production bottlenecks in 2025.[1]
  • 25% of food-manufacturing survey respondents cited automated inventory-reorder-point calculation as a high-value analytics use in 2025.[1]
  • 31% of food-manufacturing survey respondents said data analytics provided the most value in real-time production-line performance tracking in 2025.[1]

Data Quality in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77% of retail and consumer-products companies identified improving data quality as a priority in 2023.[12]
  • 7.0 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data completeness as important in 2018.[13]
  • 6.4 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data timeliness as important in 2018.[13]
  • 22% of consumer-products companies reported that businesses lacked trust in data quality and validity in 2024.[14]
  • 6.6 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data consistency as important in 2018.[13]
  • 6.4 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data accuracy as important in 2018.[13]

Data Governance in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 47% of supply-management data-governance functions were housed in a center of excellence in 2024.[15]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[15]
  • 22% of consumer-products companies planned to increase investment in data infrastructure and governance over the following 12 months in 2024.[14]
  • 81% of supply-management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[15]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[15]
  • 43% of consumer-products companies reported struggling to establish the right level of data governance in 2024.[14]

KPIs in the ai in food industry

  • 0.87 was the nutrient-prediction R-squared value reported for an AI-enabled personalized-nutrition application reviewed in 2026.[16]
  • 10.7% was the food-industry out-of-stock rate reported for 2022 in FMI’s technology and analytics research.[4]
  • 7% lower energy use or emissions was reported for AI-enabled energy-management applications in food-manufacturing case studies reviewed in 2026.[16]
  • 30%–60% lower R&D costs were reported for AI-enabled food-product-formulation applications reviewed in 2026.[16]
  • About 99% accuracy was reported for AI-enabled food-safety and fraud-detection applications in food-manufacturing case studies reviewed in 2026.[16]
  • 96%–100% accuracy was reported for AI-enabled quality inspection applications in food-manufacturing case studies reviewed in 2026.[16]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

This section links AI to measurable restaurant workflows, including 99.9% order accuracy in a Popeyes voice-ordering platform test and 63% reporting marketing operations affected by AI.

Growth in the ai in food industry

  • 24% of full-service U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected customer ordering.[17]
  • 26% of U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected menu optimization.[17]
  • 21% of U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected employee recruitment or hiring.[17]
  • 38% of U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected administrative tasks.[17]
  • 21% of U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected inventory management.[17]
  • 63% of U.S. restaurants using AI said AI affected their marketing operations.[17]

Differentiation in the ai in food industry

  • 99.9% order accuracy was reported for an AI voice-ordering platform in a Popeyes franchise test.[18]
  • 58% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said they would place orders with a live person through a video screen.[18]
  • 36% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said they would use automated delivery by systems or robots.[18]
  • 150% growth in soda sales was reported during an AI voice-ordering platform test at a Popeyes franchise.[18]
  • 79% of U.S. delivery customers said they would like to use contactless or mobile payments.[18]
  • 24% of U.S. delivery customers said technology would improve delivery by making delivery times more accurate.[18]

Mergers and acquisitions in the ai in food industry

  • USD 2 billion was GrubMarket’s projected annual revenue run rate for 2024 when it acquired Butter.[19]
  • 76% of global mid-market food-and-beverage deal value came from food sub-sector transactions in 2025.[20]
  • 3 plant-based food companies—Wicked Kitchen, Simulate and Blackbird Foods—were acquired by Ahimsa Companies between June 2024 and early 2025.[21]
  • 1 AI-powered food-procurement and inventory-management startup, Inpulse, was acquired by Mapal Group in December 2025.[22]
  • USD 103 million was the reported purchase price for Wonder Group’s acquisition of Blue Apron in 2023.[23]
  • USD 20.4 billion was the value of mid-market global food-and-beverage deals in 2025.[20]

Strategic partnerships in the ai in food industry

  • 2 companies—Journey Foods and Goodr—launched an AI-driven nutrition-scoring pilot aimed at food access and health equity in December 2024.[24]
  • USD 100 million was Chipotle’s total commitment to its Cultivate Next venture fund in 2024.[25]
  • 92 Beijing educational institutions were included in Circus Group’s proposed AI food-robot integration plan.[26]
  • 5,400 CA-1 AI food-production robots were covered by Circus Group’s proposed Beijing educational-institution rollout.[26]
  • 285 to 315 new Chipotle restaurant locations were planned for 2024 alongside the company’s startup-partnership strategy.[25]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

This section highlights skill and change-management friction alongside automation: 74% said AI complexity drives employee hesitancy in 2026.

Hiring in the ai in food industry

  • 68% of smart-manufacturing companies reported hiring new talent as their main method for building digital skills and capabilities in 2025.[27]
  • 35% of food-manufacturing companies addressed digital skills gaps by hiring new talent in 2025.[1]
  • 11% of U.S. manufacturing job postings required AI skills by July 2026, including postings from food-manufacturing employers.[28]
  • 74% of food-manufacturing professionals said automation and AI complexity, rather than fear of job loss, drives employee hesitancy in 2026.[29]

Employee retention in the ai in food industry

  • 73% of food-processing workers surveyed in the United Kingdom and Ireland said they were unlikely to remain with their employer in 2023.[30]
  • 68.3% of packaging and processing companies cited better opportunities as a common reason employees voluntarily left through January 2026.[31]
  • 28% of UK and Irish food-manufacturing employees said they would leave because of poor training and skills development in 2023.[30]
  • 73% of manufacturing organizations said frontline managers rarely quit in 2024, up from 43% in 2023.[32]
  • 19.8% was the average annual total turnover rate among packaging and processing employees with less than two years of tenure through January 2026.[31]

Remote Work in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 26% let employees choose to work in-person or remotely in 2025, while 73% require in-person work.[33]
  • U.S. accommodation and food-services firms averaged 0.1 work-from-home days per week from November 2024 through January 2025.[34]
  • In U.S. accommodation and food services, 1.7% of employees were able to work fully remotely in 2024.[35]
  • Among food-sector career starters globally, 36% were fully site-based during their first two years of work, according to a 2024 survey.[36]

Hybrid Work in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 26% offered employees the option to work in-person or remotely in 2025.[33]
  • In U.S. restaurant and bar businesses, 12% offered employees a choice between in-person and remote work in 2025.[33]
  • Among food-sector career starters globally, 27% worked in a hybrid arrangement during their first two years, according to a 2024 survey.[36]
  • In 2025, 80% of hospitality and food-services employers said they were still struggling to get the balance right with hybrid working.[37]

Upskilling in the ai in food industry

  • 23% of food-manufacturing companies addressed digital skills gaps by automating complex tasks in 2025.[1]
  • 19% of food-manufacturing companies addressed digital skills gaps through partnerships with educational institutions in 2025.[1]
  • 35% of food-manufacturing companies addressed digital skills gaps through external training programs in 2025.[1]
  • 58% of food-manufacturing companies addressed digital skills gaps through internal training programs in 2025.[1]
  • 28% of UK and Irish food-manufacturing employees said poor training and skills development could make them leave their employer in 2023.[30]

Employee Engagement in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food-and-beverage organizations scored 7.91 out of 10 for employee engagement in the latest 2026 benchmark dataset.[38]
  • Globally, 21% of employees were engaged in 2025, providing an economy-wide benchmark relevant where food-and-beverage-specific engagement data are limited.[39]
  • Among U.S. and Canadian frontline employees surveyed in 2024, 52% worked in foodservice, in a sample of 46,250 employees used to assess workplace engagement.[40]
  • Food-service employees recorded 72.6% engagement in 2026, up 9.1 percentage points from the prior measurement.[41]

Change Management in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the 2024–2025 HR Systems Survey, 39% of organizations applied change management sporadically and 9% reported using no change management.[42]
  • Among foodservice organizations surveyed in 2024, 46% identified siloed data and inaccessible specialists as barriers to systematic menu optimization.[43]
  • Among foodservice organizations surveyed in 2024, 44% cited a lack of internal expertise to execute analyses as a menu-optimization barrier.[43]
  • In a 2024 survey of foodservice organizations, 49% ranked resistance to change as a top barrier to evolving menu strategy.[43]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

This section tracks consumer acceptance and channel effects, with 34% using AI tools while shopping for food and 60% of restaurant executives expecting AI to improve customer experience.

Customer experience in the ai in food industry

  • 15% of surveyed U.S. quick-service restaurant customers had encountered an AI drive-thru, and two-thirds of those users were satisfied.[44]
  • 60% of global restaurant executives expected AI investment to improve customer experience, based on a Q4 2024 survey covering 11 countries.[27]
  • 80% of surveyed U.S. quick-service restaurant customers said technology influenced where they eat.[44]
  • 41% of U.S. consumers preferred no AI use in their restaurant dining experience.[45]
  • 60% of U.S. consumers preferred human staff over AI-managed restaurant customer support in a March 2025 survey.[45]

Customer retention in the ai in food industry

  • 36% of behaviorally loyal snack and beverage consumers would let an AI agent switch them from a favorite brand to a better-fitting alternative.[46]
  • 31% of global restaurant executives expected AI investment to improve loyalty programs.[27]
  • 36% of restaurant marketers used AI in loyalty programs, according to Epsilon’s restaurant-marketing analysis.[47]
  • 58% of snack and beverage consumers would tell an AI agent which brands to consider when purchasing.[46]
  • 26% of restaurant marketers used AI for customer-retention strategies, according to Epsilon’s restaurant-marketing analysis.[47]

Customer acquisition in the ai in food industry

  • 8% of global snack and beverage consumers would permit autonomous AI purchasing with consumer-set guardrails.[46]
  • 80% of global snack and beverage consumers were open to collaborating with an AI agent to find the best option.[46]
  • 34% of U.S. shoppers used AI tools while shopping for food, primarily to save money or time, compare products and research purchases.[48]
  • 81% of foodservice distributors identified sales, ecommerce or customer service as a leading potential area for AI solutions.[49]
  • 61% of global consumers wanted an AI agent that shops multiple grocery retailers on their behalf and splits the basket.[46]

Customer loyalty in the ai in food industry

  • 31% of restaurant executives expected AI investment to improve loyalty programs.[27]
  • 16% of casual-dining restaurant operators used AI for loyalty programs or targeted marketing campaigns.[50]
  • 17% of foodservice operators used AI specifically for loyalty programs or targeted marketing campaigns.[50]
  • 60% of U.S. restaurant loyalty-program users preferred accessing the program through a smartphone app.[18]
  • 25% of fast-casual restaurant operators used AI for loyalty programs or targeted marketing campaigns.[50]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

This section points to operational marketing take-up, with 94% of restaurant marketers using AI to prepare or execute marketing activities.

Marketing in the ai in food industry

  • 63% of restaurants using AI tools reported that marketing was an operation affected by AI.[17]
  • 36% of restaurant marketers used AI for loyalty programs, according to Epsilon’s restaurant-marketing analysis.[47]
  • 94% of restaurant marketers reported using AI to prepare or execute marketing activities.[47]

Digital marketing in the ai in food industry

  • 21% of active generative-AI users in foodservice used traditional search engines as a first recommendation source.[51]
  • 94% of restaurant marketers used AI to prepare or execute marketing, according to Epsilon’s restaurant-industry analysis.[47]
  • 18% of active generative-AI users in foodservice used generative-AI tools as a first source for recommendations in the report’s comparison category.[51]
  • 14% of active generative-AI users in foodservice used an online retail marketplace as a first recommendation source in the report’s comparison category.[51]
  • 48% of global snack and beverage consumers identified as weekly generative-AI users in 2026.[46]

Branding in the ai in food industry

  • 64% of U.S. consumers said transparency about AI use in the food system was very or extremely important.[52]
  • 83% of surveyed U.K. and U.S. consumers said companies should disclose when AI is used to create food products.[48]
  • 48% of surveyed U.K. and U.S. consumers were open to AI analyzing their genetic makeup for nutrition recommendations.[48]
  • 36% of behaviorally loyal snack and beverage consumers would allow an AI agent to switch them from a favorite brand to another option.[46]
  • 55% of early food-and-beverage adopters made food-related decisions with AI assistance in the prior year.[46]

Social media in the ai in food industry

  • 14% of active generative-AI users in foodservice selected online retail marketplaces as a first recommendation source for the report’s comparison category.[51]
  • More than 60% of generative-AI users in foodservice searched for highly specific prompts such as viral social-media food trends or nearby dietary options.[51]
  • 25% of active generative-AI users in foodservice selected brand websites or apps as a first recommendation source.[51]
  • 18% of active generative-AI users in foodservice selected generative-AI tools as a first recommendation source for the report’s comparison category.[51]
  • 14.1% of total TikTok sales in 2024 came from food and beverage, making the category the platform’s second-largest sales category.[48]

Influencer Marketing in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 82% of U.S. Gen Z food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a prepackaged product based on an online influencer’s recommendation in the previous year, according to a June 2025 survey.[53]
  • 33% of U.S. food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a product from an influencer-founded or influencer-led brand such as Prime or Feastables in the previous year, in 2025.[53]
  • 47.6% of TikTok videos featuring food products from top influencers included a branded product, based on an analysis of 1,360 videos published in 2025.[54]
  • 63% of U.S. food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a prepackaged product based on an online influencer’s recommendation in the previous year, according to a June 2025 survey.[53]
  • 49% of U.S. millennial food and beverage shoppers said they purchased from an influencer-founded or influencer-led brand in the previous year, according to a 2025 survey.[53]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

This section highlights AI performance and operational outcomes, including 75% production food-waste reduction in a digital-twin and AI scheduling case.

Process optimization in the ai in food industry

  • Scheduling and allocation recommendations were generated every 15 minutes by an AI-powered digital twin at a food manufacturing facility.[55]
  • 10.2% overall efficiency improvement was delivered by an AI-powered digital twin at a food-and-beverage manufacturing facility within 12 weeks.[55]
  • 99%+ prediction accuracy was achieved for ideal packet fill weights in a mayonnaise manufacturer’s AI-based filling process in the United States in 2023.[56]
  • 75% of production food waste was reduced in a German delicatessen-salad factory using AI-based scheduling and a digital twin.[57]
  • More than 50% of product giveaway was reduced by AI-based closed-loop filling control at a mayonnaise manufacturer in the United States in 2023.[56]

Operational efficiency in the ai in food industry

  • 15 labor hours per week were saved by Krystal Produce after implementing AI order processing.[49]
  • 14 times faster order processing was achieved by Krystal Produce using Choco AI.[49]
  • 41% of food retailers and 69% of food suppliers surveyed by FMI reported using AI in 2023.[4]
  • 4% less food giveaway was reported at Amy’s Kitchen after AI-enabled robotic assembly was introduced.[58]
  • 6.5% was the food out-of-stock rate reported by food retailers and suppliers in 2023, down from 10.7% in 2022, as data analytics and AI adoption expanded.[4]

Quality management in the ai in food industry

  • 10 minutes was required for AI-assisted root-cause analysis at Wish Farms, compared with approximately 10 hours previously.[59]
  • 38% fewer quality rejects were reported by a confectionery brand after implementing AI-powered visual inspection.[60]
  • 50% fewer produce rejections were achieved at Wish Farms after deploying AI-supported computer-vision inspection.[59]
  • 4 times greater inspection capacity was achieved by Wish Farms using AI-supported quality inspection.[59]
  • 92% inspection accuracy at the start of a shift fell to 71% after four hours for manual bakery inspection before AI computer vision was introduced.[61]

Supply chain in the ai in food industry

  • 907372 tons of food waste could be prevented annually if AI ordering solutions were implemented across the United States grocery sector, according to a ReFED estimate.[62]
  • 40% lower inventory was achieved at Danone’s Nutricia plant in the Netherlands using AI forecasting and automated replenishment.[63]
  • 13.3 million metric tons of avoided carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions were associated with ReFED’s estimate for nationwide grocery adoption of AI ordering tools.[62]
  • 24% of foodservice distributors surveyed in 2025 identified planning and forecasting as a leading AI priority.[49]
  • 14.8% average food-waste reduction per store was achieved in pilots using Shelf Engine and Afresh AI ordering tools at two large United States retailers.[62]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among United States and European food-services and facility-management buyers, 91% expected outsourcing budgets to increase over the five years following 2024.[64]
  • Across food and beverage CPG companies globally, 75% used at least some co-manufacturing resources in 2023.[65]
  • Among food and beverage CPG companies globally, 47% worked with up to 10 co-manufacturers in 2023.[65]
  • Across food and beverage CPG companies globally, 55% outsourced more manufacturing in 2023 than three years earlier, according to a survey of 287 industry leaders.[65]
  • Across food and beverage CPG companies globally, 52% planned to expand their international footprint in 2023, including North America, EMEA and APAC expansion.[66]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

This section shows margin impacts and payback timing, including a 6.3-month payback period for an AI-powered digital twin in food-and-beverage manufacturing.

Pricing strategy in the ai in food industry

  • 2% to 5% incremental-margin improvement was cited for grocery retailers using Instacart’s Eversight pricing software.[67]
  • 1.2% gross-margin improvement was achieved by a grocery retailer using AI pricing optimization.[68]
  • 2.4% average margin lift across core and seasonal SKUs was reported by a United States food brand using Hypersonix AI pricing.[69]
  • 0.6% like-for-like growth was achieved by a grocery retailer in the first year of AI pricing implementation.[68]
  • 18 hours per week were saved in manual benchmarking and price checks by a United States food brand using AI pricing tools.[69]

Cost reduction in the ai in food industry

  • $1.1 million in sustained annual savings was delivered by an AI-powered digital twin at a food-and-beverage manufacturing facility.[55]
  • $23000 in annual labor costs were saved for one major customer by Krystal Produce after implementing Choco AI order processing.[49]
  • $4.7 million in five-year net benefit was projected from an AI-powered digital twin at a food-and-beverage manufacturing facility.[55]

Profitability in the ai in food industry

  • 6.3 months was the reported payback period for an AI-powered digital twin at a food-and-beverage manufacturing facility.[55]
  • More than $2 billion in annual financial benefits was estimated for the United States grocery sector if AI ordering solutions were adopted broadly.[62]
  • $1 million in weekly productivity losses were recovered by a global food-and-beverage manufacturer using AI-based plant decision intelligence.[70]
  • 91% first-year return on investment was reported for an AI-powered digital twin at a food-and-beverage manufacturing facility.[55]
  • 5% higher output was achieved by a global food-and-beverage manufacturer through AI-supported machine utilization.[70]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

This section focuses on formulation and development throughput, including a six-week shortest development cycle reported for PepsiCo products using generative AI.

Product development in the ai in food industry

  • 36% of food and beverage brands were testing AI for product development in February 2024, according to TraceGains survey data reported by Baking Business.[71]
  • 6 weeks was the shortest reported development cycle for PepsiCo products using generative AI, compared with six to nine months previously.[72]
  • 46 terabytes of data, 6,000 ingredients and 3.5 million fragrance combinations were used to develop Unilever’s AI-assisted Axe A.I. Body Spray.[73]
  • 1,300 new products were generated by Nestlé’s generative-AI product-innovation tool, according to a 2025 review of the company’s program.[72]
  • 50% was the reduction in development time reported for Knorr’s Fast & Flavourful Paste after AI-assisted digital recipe testing.[73]

Product lifecycle in the ai in food industry

  • 5 million-plus product–customer combinations are covered by Unilever’s weekly 104-week forecasting engine across 40 operating markets.[73]
  • 8% was the increase in overall equipment effectiveness at Unilever’s Hefei operation after AI-supported manufacturing improvements.[73]
  • 4,000 3D digital master products were already available at Nestlé, with a target of 10,000 digital twins within two years.[74]
  • 104 weeks is the forecast horizon generated weekly by Unilever’s machine-learning supply-chain engine.[73]
  • 75% faster order fulfillment was reported at Unilever’s Hefei factory-to-consumer operation using AI-supported operations.[73]

After-sales in the ai in food industry

  • 35,000 chef-authored recipes support Unilever Food Solutions’ AI-enabled customer recommendations for foodservice operators.[73]
  • 75 markets are covered by Unilever Food Solutions’ AI-supported customer-recommendation platform.[73]
  • 10 positions was the improvement in Hellmann’s visibility ranking after an AI-informed content change targeting recipe searches.[73]
  • 20% lower logistics costs were reported by Unilever at its Hefei factory-to-consumer operation after AI-supported fulfillment improvements.[73]
  • 31,000 orders per day are managed by Unilever’s Hefei factory-to-consumer operation across more than 400 products.[73]

Value proposition in the ai in food industry

  • 89% of food and beverage executives agreed or strongly agreed that AI represents an opportunity for their companies in 2025.[75]
  • 5.4% was the reported sales lift associated with AI capabilities supporting more than 70 product launches at a major snack company.[76]
  • 61% of food and beverage executives agreed or strongly agreed that their organisations planned to invest in AI in 2025.[75]
  • 57% of food and beverage executives expected AI to meaningfully reduce operating costs in the short term in a 2025 survey.[75]
  • 70-plus product launches were supported by AI capabilities at the snack company described in McKinsey’s food-and-beverage report.[76]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

This section ties measurement to environmental outcomes, with 20%–53% reductions in food waste reported by companies using AI tools.

Sustainability in the ai in food industry

  • $2.7 million in projected annual savings was reported for a U.S. value-grocery pilot using Afresh’s AI system to reduce shrinkage and improve freshness.[77]
  • 200 million pounds of food loss had reportedly been prevented across 26 countries through AI-driven demand forecasting in retail fresh-food categories.[77]
  • 5%–10% lower global greenhouse-gas emissions could be enabled by scaling proven AI applications by 2030, according to the European Commission’s agri-food ecosystem report.[78]
  • 20%–53% reductions in food waste were reported by companies using AI tools in commercial foodservice and manufacturing, based on interviews and case studies across the food system.[77]
  • 20 million pounds of apples had reportedly been saved across more than 1,500 storage rooms using AI-powered storage monitoring.[77]

Ethics in the ai in food industry

  • 40% of consumer-goods, food and retail organizations agreed that governance should not slow progress on strategic AI initiatives.[79]
  • 35% of consumer-goods, food and retail leaders agreed that it is easy to be oversold on the potential of AI solutions.[79]
  • 83% of consumer-goods, food and retail organizations reported having an AI strategy that includes a code of ethics.[79]
  • 56% of consumer-goods, food and retail organizations had terminated agreements with suppliers that did not share their approach to responsible AI.[79]

Circular economy in the ai in food industry

  • 39% lower food-waste costs per meal were reported in foodservice pilots using AI-powered waste-reduction systems.[77]
  • 200 million pounds of food loss had reportedly been prevented across 26 countries through AI-driven retail demand forecasting, supporting circular use of food resources.[77]
  • 20 million pounds of apples had reportedly been saved across more than 1,500 storage rooms through AI-powered monitoring that enabled earlier inventory decisions.[77]
  • 20%–53% reductions in food waste were reported by foodservice and manufacturing companies using AI-enabled measurement, forecasting or process tools.[77]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

This section shows scaling plans and international coverage, including 8,400 AI food-service robot units covered by Circus Group pre-orders.

Globalization in the ai in food industry

  • 8,400 AI food-service robot units were covered by Circus Group’s initial worldwide pre-orders.[87]
  • USD 84.7 billion is the projected global AI-in-food-and-beverages market size for 2030.[88]
  • 40 factories and more than 26,000 employees worldwide are operated by Circus Group’s unnamed high-tech manufacturing partner for AI food-service robots.[87]
  • USD 8.5 billion was the estimated global AI-in-food-and-beverages market size in 2023.[88]
  • USD 48.99 billion is the projected global AI-in-food-and-beverage market size for 2029.[89]

Cultural adaptation in the ai in food industry

  • 48% of U.S. Gen Z restaurant customers said they would use automated food delivery if offered by a limited-service restaurant.[17]
  • 49% of U.S. millennials said they would use an AI-generated person on a video screen to order at a limited-service restaurant.[17]
  • 12% of U.S. baby-boomer restaurant customers said they would use automated food delivery if offered by a limited-service restaurant.[17]
  • 9% of U.S. baby boomers said they would use food prepared by automated systems or robots in limited-service restaurants.[17]
  • 53% of U.S. millennial restaurant customers said they would use automated food delivery if offered by a limited-service restaurant.[17]

Supplier management in the ai in food industry

  • 23% of U.S. foodservice distributors surveyed by IFDA identified sales and marketing as a leading expected source of AI gains.[49]
  • 31% of larger foodservice distributors had already implemented AI, according to the foodservice distribution technology research cited by IFDA.[49]
  • 30% of U.S. foodservice distributors surveyed by IFDA expected route planning and optimization to deliver the largest AI gains over the following three years.[49]
  • 24% of U.S. foodservice distributors surveyed by IFDA identified customer support as a leading expected source of AI gains.[49]
  • 54% of larger foodservice distributors were actively discussing practical AI applications, according to IFDA research.[49]

Stakeholder management in the ai in food industry

  • 60% of U.S. restaurant operators planned technology investments to enhance customer experience.[18]
  • 47% of U.S. restaurant operators anticipated technology and automation would become more common for addressing labor shortages.[18]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned technology investments to improve productivity or efficiency in kitchens.[18]
  • 76% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology would give their businesses a competitive edge.[18]
  • 23% of U.S. restaurant operators worried their operations were lagging in technology adoption.[18]

Distribution channels in the ai in food industry

  • 80% of U.S. delivery customers said they would place delivery orders through a smartphone app.[18]
  • 70% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said they would use a smartphone app to place an order.[18]
  • 65% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said they would order using a self-service kiosk.[18]
  • 65% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said they would use an app to pay for a meal.[18]
  • 45% of U.S. delivery customers said they would likely order delivery through a voice-enabled platform.[18]

Key questions about the AI in Food Industry

What is the market size for AI in foodtech in 2025 and 2026?
The global AI in foodtech market reached $8.58 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $11.53 billion in 2026.
How fast is the AI in foodtech market growing into 2026?
The 2025–2026 growth rate is estimated at 34.3% and the market is forecast to rise from $8.58 billion in 2025 to $11.53 billion in 2026.
Which companies lead the ai in food industry?
Miso Robotics leads Gitnux's 2026 ai in food ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 34% revenue growth. Circus Group is the highest-ranked autonomous food production systems maker at 9.3, driven by 500% revenue growth.
What technology shifts are showing up in food operations by 2026?
Adoption shifts from pilots to operations, while computer vision strengthens quality control and supply-chain AI moves toward real-time control.
How is the market structured across components, applications, and end users?
It is segmented by component into solutions and services; by application into production and processing, product development and innovation, supply-chain management, and food safety and compliance; and by end user into food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants and foodservice providers, and other users.
What is the compliance timeline affecting food companies using AI in 2026?
Enforcement of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act begins on August 2, 2026, adding governance, risk management, transparency, and compliance requirements depending on system classification.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). AI In Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ai-in-food-industry-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "AI In Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ai-in-food-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "AI In Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ai-in-food-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

103 sources cited across this report

  1. marketing.foodindustryexecutive.com
  2. assets.ctfassets.net
  3. trendsunplugged.io
  4. fmi.org
  5. bevindustry.com
  6. ift.org
  7. tracegains.com
  8. ec.europa.eu
  9. foodindustryexecutive.com
  10. go.crbgroup.com
  11. tandfonline.com
  12. informatica.com
  13. scm.ncsu.edu
  14. kpmg.com
  15. utah.ismworld.org
  16. iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
  17. go.restaurant.org
  18. restaurant.org
  19. techcrunch.com
  20. bakertilly.global
  21. gfi.org
  22. pitchbook.brightspotcdn.com
  23. en.wikipedia.org
  24. journeyfoods.io
  25. newsroom.chipotle.com
  26. webdisclosure.com
  27. deloitte.com
  28. federalreserve.gov
  29. fpsa.org
  30. foodmanufacture.co.uk
  31. pmmi.org
  32. ukg.com
  33. verizon.com
  34. siepr.stanford.edu
  35. www-statista-com.libproxy.pcc.edu
  36. bsigroup.com
  37. newsroom.cisco.com
  38. culturemonkey.io
  39. gallup.com
  40. nrn.com
  41. gohappyhub.com
  42. sapientinsights.com
  43. mastercard.com
  44. kioskindustry.org
  45. partech.com
  46. foodbusinessnews.net
  47. epsilon.com
  48. foodnavigator.com
  49. ifdaonline.org
  50. nfs-hospitality.com
  51. coca-colacompany.com
  52. ag.purdue.edu
  53. tinuiti.com
  54. jmir.org
  55. createasoft.com
  56. literature.rockwellautomation.com
  57. onfoods.eu
  58. chefrobotics.ai
  59. aiforsupplychain.org
  60. oxmaint.com
  61. ztabs.co
  62. foodwastepact.refed.org
  63. flowlity.com
  64. oliverwyman.com
  65. prnewswire.com
  66. foodlogistics.com
  67. reddit.com
  68. rndpoint.com
  69. hypersonix.ai
  70. throughput.world
  71. bakingbusiness.com
  72. academic.oup.com
  73. unilever.com
  74. nestle.com
  75. goodbody.ie
  76. mckinsey.com
  77. refed.org
  78. monitor-industrial-ecosystems.ec.europa.eu
  79. knowledge.dlapiper.com
  80. wtwco.com
  81. foodprocessing.com
  82. verve.com
  83. eu-cap-network.ec.europa.eu
  84. ific.org
  85. scribd.com
  86. gs1us.org
  87. circus-group.com
  88. grandviewresearch.com
  89. mpi.govt.nz
  90. thebusinessresearchcompany.com
  91. thenextweb.com
  92. foodics.com
  93. circularitycapital.com
  94. sec.gov
  95. oxipitalai.com
  96. cdn2.notco.com
  97. aniai.ai
  98. nalarobotics.com
  99. posha.com
  100. mitsui.com
  101. pwc.com
  102. manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com
  103. winnowsolutions.com