The Top Technologies to Improve Chocolate Production and Distribution

It’s no surprise that chocolate is one of the most popular foods on the planet, with a market worth over $100 billion. Although Americans consume a large amount, it’s Europeans who lead the way — with the average Swiss chocolate fan munching 9.9 kg of the sweet stuff per year. With chocolate as popular as ever, interest has grown in the technologies relating to its production and distribution. So here we take a deep dive into the topic.

1. Tracking Chocolate Packages with AI

Keep an accurate record of all product data is vitally important when it comes to the production and distribution of chocolate. Today AI, machine learning (ML) and automation are playing a leading role in this. The advent of radio frequency identification (RFID) embedded in chocolate’s packaging has empowered manufacturers to track product data. Machine learning algorithms and analytics which in-built within demand planning software can now also be used to bridge gaps between supply and demand. And factors such as changing weather patterns, or evolving consumer taste, can be used to accurately predict consumer demand. 

2. Big Data and Smart Warehouses

To build strong supply chains, chocolate producers must have access to accurate data. Because data is the building block to efficiency. Food manufacturing software can leverage large volumes of data; gathering intelligence about products as they move from the factory to the consumer. “Smart warehouses” are also an important new technological development for the chocolate industry. In these locations AI technology can sort product lines, test for food safety and track batches in real time, sending automated alerts to managers. 

3. Blockchain Technology, Software and Traceable Cocoa 

Despite the chocolate industry experiencing a great period of growth, most cacao farmers can earn less than $1 per day. A recent Guardian newspaper expose found, that workers, are “often labouring in stifling heat without shade and with heavy levels of pesticides”. Furthermore, the high demand worldwide for chocolate has resulted in deforestation; the Ivory Coast has now lost 80% of its forests. Technology can form a useful response to these issues. Blockchain technology traceability software can enhance the sustainability of cocoa farming. It works to provide full traceability (information on where exactly the cocoa was harvested and the details of its full supply chain, farm to fork). And this can inform and improve farming practices and sustainability. 

4. Lab Produced Chocolate 

Another response to the chocolate industry’s unsustainable production methods and unethical labor practices comes in the form of lab-grown chocolate. QOA, a German company, have recently launched a mass-market chocolate product that is entirely free of cocoa. Instead they use alternative ingredients that mimic its flavor profile. “We do for chocolate what Oatly did for milk” insist the founders, sister-brother duo Sara and Maximilian Marquart. 

By 2024 it’s predicted that the global food industry could save $31 million if companies invest in blockchain technology to monitor their supply chains. If you’re looking to digitize your supply chain, get in touch with the team at Cashmere today!