Automation Has Taken Many Industries By Storm, And It’s Time For Food & Beverages Companies To Climb Aboard

"Consumers are in a position to set new requirements when it comes to their own customer experience. Fast deliveries will be topped by a request for increased accuracy and freshness in orders, which comes with the support of specialized software," said Zina Mavroeidi, the CEO of e-Fresh

Applications of robots are still at a nascent stage; companies are adopting robots to increase productivity. Implementation of robots resulted in nearly 48% of capital savings and automation in food increased production by 30% in 2016. For instance, FANUC Robotics Inc. introduced a number of pick-and-place articulated robots for the food industry which also meets stringent hygiene regulations provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In 2018, the sales value of the robotics in the food and beverage industry in China amounted to more than 123 million U.S. dollars, while, in Germany, the sales value amounted to 47.38 million U.S. dollars. More than two-thirds of US employees ages 18 and older believed that robots could assist them in their jobs, while nearly 32% of respondents feared robots could take their jobs.

According to the World Bank, the urbanization rate in China increased to 57.90% in the year 2017 from 51.89% in 2012. This has resulted in a growing demand for food and beverages and made China one of the largest foods and beverage industries in the world.

Similarly, in India allocation of the Ministry of Food Processing has been doubled from INR 715 crore in 2017-18 to INR 1400 crore in 2018-19.

Increasing demand for advanced automated systems such as robotics will boost the growth of the market over the forecast period. For instance, according to a survey from the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, 94% of food packaging operations are using robotics already.

Moreover, a rising number of manufacturers operating in the F&B industry is anticipated to boost the market's growth positively over the forecast period. The growing adoption of automated technologies in production facilities also fuels the regional food automation market.

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into uncharted territory — and in some industries, that's leading to an automation boom. More than 6.6 million people filed for unemployment in the U.S. last week. Experts estimate 10 million are out of work. Already, automation is filling some of the gaps.

While robots are common sights on factory floors, they’ve largely remained novelties in everyday life. Robots are also being used in food services, delivering meals to COVID-19 hospital patients, and replacing cooks and wait staff in some restaurants.

While the food-robot industry has sometimes floundered, there's now new hope that robots like Flippy, a robot chef from Miso Robotics that prepares burgers at Cali Burger restaurants in California; and Briggo, a robot barista that brews lattes ordered by smartphone, can help make restaurants more sanitary, personalized and efficient.

Only a handful of supermarkets in the U.S. currently use micro fulfillment centers in or adjacent to existing stores, and many of those are still in initial stages. Stop & Shop, ShopRite, Big Y, Sedano’s and Albertsons, for example, are working with Takeoff Technologies at select sites; Dematic is at work on an in-store center for Meijer in Michigan; and Alert Innovations is operating an in-store robotic pick center in Salem, N.H., for Walmart and is building two additional sites.