Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Flavor Innovation

The journey to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to create changes in the speed and effectiveness of new product development has begun, but much of the territory has yet to be explored. In this article, we share some of our experiences, lessons learned, and thoughts on the future of AI utilization in new product formulation in the food and beverage industries. McCormick & Company and IBM Research have embarked on a collaboration to pioneer the application of AI to flavor and food development. We are combining McCormick's extensive product formulation data and know-how with IBM Research's AI expertise to reimagine food and flavor innovation for the digital age. Using IBM Research AI for Product Composition, McCormick is transforming workflow processes for product developers, enabling them to create more innovative flavor products faster and to significantly improve their success rate. The first AI-enabled retail products resulting from our multiyear research collaboration were launched in brick-and-mortar stores and online markets in 2019.