Artificial Intelligence Revolutionizes Ingredient Selection in Food Industry

Ingredion has introduced a new AI-driven tool named Ask Ingredion, designed to support research and development teams in the food industry. This conversational assistant is intended to transform the traditional methods of ingredient selection, which often involve manual searches and technical analysis, into a more streamlined process guided by interactive questions and answers.

Ask Ingredion is integrated within the MyIngredion portal, where manufacturers can specify their needs, such as replacing an ingredient or seeking a particular functionality for a product. The AI assistant then guides users through a series of questions about processing conditions and formulation objectives, subsequently suggesting ingredient options from Ingredion’s portfolio. It allows for side-by-side comparisons of these alternatives and offers the capability to request samples or schedule consultations with human experts.

This development highlights a shift in the role of technology within food innovation. The AI tool is not just a search engine but acts as a decision-support system, helping technical teams organize information and explore development pathways. Ingredion states that the assistant has been trained using product specifications, technical sheets, and application histories specific to Ingredion, ensuring that the system provides precise, tailored responses rather than relying on generic language models.

The anticipated benefit of this technology is to ease the workload of professionals involved in creating food and beverage products by offering a more practical approach to solution discovery. The first public demonstration of Ask Ingredion is scheduled for the IFT FIRST 2026 event, taking place from July 12 to 15 in Chicago, USA. Ingredion plans to showcase practical demonstrations of prototypes at this event.

This initiative signifies the growing integration of artificial intelligence in critical stages of the food supply chain, particularly during the phase where concepts, ingredients, and formulations need to evolve into market-ready products with increased speed.