For any food company worth its salt, it is of utmost importance to learn about their customers’ preference. They are keen to figure out if their customers – both current and potential – are vegan or prefer plant-based proteins.
In its constant quest to uncover consumers’ food habits, a consultant at the food industry named Dave Donnan said technology also does affect their food habits. He revealed this while speaking at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo this year.
For instance, it is easy to trace their eating patterns from Instagram posts where they often reveal their dining experiences. Meanwhile gourmet chefs are also coming up with creative dishes not just aimed at satisfying their client’s palates but also appealing to them visually. Donnan feels that the influence of technology is incremental, but with time it has the potential to build influence.
However, the continued pressure to curate each moment is not without its pitfalls. It has generated a sense of being watched all the time. As a result consumers are concerned about making the right choices with respect to food, despite there being no clear definition of “right.”
This is particularly true of parents who feel the pressing need to record activity or habit of their children. So they use cameras to watch over their sleeping children or use apps for keeping a tab on the weight of their children. They are always under tremendous pressure from other judgmental parents to ensure their kids eat right.
In the process, they are banking upon influencers more than institutions these days, finds Donnan.
