From Algorithms To Appetites: AI Is Now Designing Your Oreo Cookie Flavors
Mondelez International, which owns Oreo, is looking to AI to co-develop new flavors with food scientists at its New Jersey R&D center. When prompted with specific characteristics for flavor (e.g. saltiness, chocolateness, or tanginess), appearance (e.g. shape, size, visible chocolate chips or not, etc.), and aroma (e.g. freshly baked, eggy, burnt, etc.), the AI tool will attempt to create recipes that will be turned into samples by the product developers.
Users of the AI tool can further dial in parameters such as specific ingredients, ingredient cost, nutritional value, account for allergies, and even environmental impact. Ultimately, it's still down to human taste testers to determine if recipes are a go or no-go, with their feedback being fed back into the AI project loop. The process continues until a flavor is approved or the recipe is nixed. Mondelez says that this method gets products from pilot to production trials four to five times quicker than before.
Larger, mass-critical brands within the Mondelez empire have also begun to leverage the generative AI tool, although the company is decidedly mum about which product had AI assistance; Mondelez would rather customers enjoy the snack than concern themselves about how it's made.
Seeing the potential, Mondelez is expanding how AI can help beyond food development. Two months ago, a new marketing platform was launch that uses AI to adapt/personalize marketing messaging and media. The intention is to connect the brand with the needs and changes in consumers' tastes, among other things.
In its previous life, you may have known Mondelez International as Kraft Foods Inc, but snack giant is presently the owner of well-known staples like Ritz Crackers, Chips Ahoy, Clif Bars, Cadbury, Toblerone, Trident gum, and Tang.
