New Spoon Guru Food Discovery Service Uses AI to Help Consumer’s Dietary Choices

Content streaming platforms often use artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning to direct viewers toward content that they are most likely to view based on their habits and responses to surveys. The recommendations are often personalized, making it easier for users to choose content. Now, a question is arising as to why the same has not happened for the food health and wellness industry. After all, providing consumers with options based on their habits and interests sounds like a pretty good idea.

Interestingly, one company may have caught on. The company, called Spoon Guru, may be inching toward the same type of style for food. The company is a startup that works to “harness the power of AI to transform food discovery.” Its technology can help consumers discover the right food whatever their dietary preferences, health objectives, and lifestyle choices are.

Here is a video sizzler showing how Spoon Guru AI-powered food discovery platform works:

The company’s CEO and co-founder Markus Stripf shared with FoodNavigator that the platform’s service can provide “highly tailored” recommendations to consumers, and similar to how Netflix, YouTube, or Spotify learn from consumer behavior and consumption. He further shared that the company compares itself to Netflix because it questions why it hasn't happened with food, given that most people have dietary or food preferences, or a lifestyle choice, and such preferences don't change that often. The platform’s technology will allow retailers to provide more relevant recommendations. Here is a visual graphic of the artificially intelligent platform's process of combining AI with machine learning and nutritional expertise:

According to a FoodNavigator report, the platform is working with several retailers around the world, such as Tesco in the UK, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, and Woolsworth in Australia. The most recent offerings from the company are focused on health and wellbeing and there are five modules to help consumers find foods for their health objectives and dietary needs.

The health and wellness suite offered by the company includes:

• Health Scores
• Product Recommendations
• Recipe Recommendations
• Healthy Swaps
• Basket Analyzer

Markus Strip, Spoon Guru CEO and co-founder, added:

“The reason we are comparing ourselves to Netflix is that we think: why has this not happened in food?” […] “Most people have a dietary or food preference, or a lifestyle choice, and they don’t change that often.​” […] “Supermarkets should, by now, be able to learn from my interactions [as a consumer], from my purchases – what specific foods I prefer, and what specific foods I am more likely to buy. And then they should be able to provide me more relevant recommendations,” ​he added. “Our technology allows retailers to do that.”

These modules work together and can be used by consumers looking for products online. They can also be integrated with a retailer’s smartphone application. Markus went on to add, “We are hoping to be able to change the paradigm away from search, into discover.” In closing, the Spoon Guru leader shared:

“The advantages for retailers are clear. Our Health and Wellness Suite allows our partners to provide healthy food options whilst driving value. Health is a major differentiator in the price wars and a powerful vehicle to drive long term loyalty.”

It will be interesting to see what the food search and discovery AI-powered platform can do in the near future as it looks to become a ‘Netflix-style curation for food' by providing unprecedented insights and analysis of trends that help shoppers buy smarter based on their buying and using habits.