How will 3D printing impact the food industry?

The fifth Innovation Food Conference — iFood 2019 — will be held at Anuga in Cologne, Germany, in October. Suitable for food retailers, technologists and manufacturers, the conference aims to jointly work out approaches for the development of efficient value chains for sustainable and attractive products.

Speakers at the iFood conference will discuss the ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainability, addressing issues such as ethics, animal welfare, resource efficiency, consumer health and food authenticity.

Presentations about digitalisation will encompass many topics pertaining to the food industry. The conference will question what digitalisation offers to the food industry in terms of transparency and traceability, and the role of artificial intelligence within the food industry. Experts will provide insights into the economic impacts and opportunities of digitalisation, alongside discussing topics such as blockchain.

Innovations in the food industry may be determined by changing consumer nutritional habits or by short-lived trends. This can impact how food producers design their product portfolio and manufacturing process. Discussions about innovations in the food industry will question how 3D printing and extrusion will impact manufacturing competitiveness. Speakers will also consider if decentralisation of production is the key to satisfying consumer desire for different products.

The conference will also consider the challenges placed on stakeholders along the food value chain by changing global food markets. The impact of demands from consumers on the food industry in terms of product quality, sustainability, process control and logistics will also be addressed by speakers. Speakers at the iFood Conference 2019 will also cover how to provide high-quality foods to consumers while ensuring affordable production and distribution costs for stakeholders along the food value chain.

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