For part one of this story, please click here.
For part two, please click here.
8. 3D printing
There has long been talk of a new dawn in food production brought on by 3D printing. The technology involves pureed food, placed in cartridges, being layered by the 3D printer.
For a chef or operator the potential in using 3D printers is huge. It is an obvious way to standardize products, making it particularly appealing to pastry chefs who aim for perfectly identical looking plates of intricate desserts. Other obvious advantages include a much-reduced requirement for manpower and labor intensity, which in turn saves costs. In senior residential care homes 3D printing allows cooks to prepare highly nutritional food in an easily digestible manner.
American manufacturer 3D Systems was the first to bring a food printer to market in 2014 when it launched the Chefjet and Chefjet Pro at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
“We currently view this still as work in progress and do not see this being used in the professional kitchens that we plan,” says Mehera. “Going forward we do see it as an alternative to develop and deliver good quality food without having experts – such as cooks – to make it. We do, however, feel that this will be popular in the case of mass production and not for the typical restaurant or a la carte kitchen.”
This technology is definitely one to watch in food production and foodservice – and it’s continually evolving. In the years since its inception, it has been applied to create a constantly expanding range of foods in step with new trends. Consider Legendary Vish, a company creating 3D-printed ‘salmon’ fillets made from plant-based ingredients to cater to a new generation of vegan and vegetarian diners.
9. Ventless hood systems
Circulating air and collecting grease without the need for exterior ventilation, ventless equipment captures, removes and reduces food particles, steam, fumes and odors produced by cooking vapors. It therefore allows for hoods in places previously unviable, such as food vans or historic buildings. “Post-Covid, the possibility for ventless technology is unlimited.
The technology lends itself to creating more points of service. And that’s critically important in defining both profitability and also safety and security,” William Caruso FFCSI, president of FCSI Worldwide told our recent roundtable on ventless innovation in stadia foodservice. Fellow consultant Kristin Sedej FCSI of S2O agrees. “One of the things we’re going to see in areas of future expansion is in cost savings. For us to continue to keep evolving we have to do two things. We have to look at long-term costs associated and the production thru-put,” she says. “We are limited to size and function and the amount of KWs we can put through. So, there are limitations, but [ventless] is a gamechanger, no doubt.”
10. Wi-Fi-controlled warewashing
The drive towards greener and leaner ways of working across the foodservice sector has thrown up many examples of innovation and ingenuity; warewashing is one segment where real in-roads have been made.
Wi-Fi controlled warewashing can be tightly monitored, allowing operators to adapt frequency and load to conditions. Crucially, it helps to increase energy and water efficiency through the monitoring of water levels and temperature, which ultimately is converted to financial gains.
Warewashers, connected via Wi-Fi, send data to a central server where it is analyzed, making for a more efficient warewashing system. It can be monitored from anywhere via an app, which adds safety and offers optimization options.
Warewashing is just one of many areas in which Wi-Fi is advancing rapidly, according to Mehera. “There are inherent advantages in being able to control your equipment remotely, get necessary information and statistics, error messaging as well as remote maintenance,” he says. “We see Wi-Fi, currently as the most advanced technology with the highest user acceptance and the one progressing the digital transition in the foodservice industry.”
Over time, several manufacturers have brought to market different versions of Wi-Fi-controlled warewashing systems. Brian Hannon, co-founder and director of Super 8 Restaurants, comprising three restaurants in London, speaks highly of Connected Wash from Winterhalter, which records all operating data and makes it available for managers to easily access. “It lets us keep full accurate records of each wash, as well as helping to identify issues and get them fixed quickly,” he says.
Additional technologies to watch
Geofencing, Bluetooth and phone location beacons – where guests and participation are tracked – are all set to grow. These technologies “have applications throughout the restaurant and beyond. This is especially important now with takeout, curbside and delivery orders,” says Bandy.
Non-chemical sanitizing systems are “a good technology application using ozone and simply water as a cleaning media,” says Sağlamtunç. “The effective cleaning time is 4-6 hours depending on the configuration and there’s no cost for chemicals, no storage area needed and no expiration date.” (tersano.com)
Sağlamtunç also heralds renewable drinking water supplies, from companies such as Source (source.co) whereby water is created from air by using solar energy. “It is totally free and environmentally friendly solution,” he says. He also cites the advent of solar cooking (examples are sunoven.com and gosun.co).
“Though the technology is rather primitive, there is a vast opportunity to invest this system to expand its cooking capabilities, especially in summer time. There are many savings to be made.”
Michael Jones, Tina Nielsen, Conor Carleton
