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taste

November 16, 2018

EU Court Rules Taste Can’t Be Copyrighted. Will Tech Someday Change That?

Can taste be copyrighted?

According to an EU court, the answer is no (or at least not yet).

At least that’s how they ruled this week in a court battle between two cheese companies. The fight was over whether the taste of a spreadable herb-flavored cheese spread was a copyrightable creation. One company, Levola, argued that another company by the name of Smilde had copied the taste of its product, a cheese named Heksenkaa, thus violating its copyright. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Levola, saying taste – at least today – is not copyrightable.

The reason for their decision rests on the belief that unlike other forms of artistic expression such as literary, visual or cinematographic work, “the taste of a food product cannot be identified with precision and objectivity.” Instead, they argue, taste is much more subjective, based on an individual’s experience, their age and eating habits, as well as the environment in which the food is consumed.

Fair enough. There’s no doubt that each person tastes food differently, and the environment –  including everything from temperature to the altitude in which it’s consumed – has an impact on how food ultimately tastes.

But could technology change that? It seems that maybe, just maybe, the court left that door open.

From the court’s public statement (italics my own):

“Moreover, it is not possible in the current state of scientific development to achieve by technical means a precise and objective identification of the taste of a food product which enables it to be distinguished from the taste of other products of the same kind.”

In other words, the court seems to be saying that while the world hasn’t developed the technology to precisely and objectively measure taste yet, they’re not ruling out that it eventually could happen and, if it did, they might want to revisit the idea of taste as copyrightable work.

There’s no doubt researchers are trying to get there. Whether it’s work on biosensors that more accurately replicate the tasting ability of the human tongue, or research on digital olfactory sensors that provide a more multidimensional understanding of smell by factoring in “temporal, spatial, mechanical, hedonic, and contextual correlations,” we are quickly gaining a better understanding of taste through technology.

The reality is measuring taste is tough, in part because taste is not only experienced through multiple senses, but also through the filter of each person’s history and preferences, and changes depending on the context of environmental factors such as air pressure, elevation, and temperature.

But here’s the thing: all this is true of other forms of artistic expression. Movies, for example, are multisensory experiences that are consumed and interpreted by each person through a filter of their own preferences, education, and experiences.  There’s also research that shows that  external environmental factors could impact and could change how people consume things like music.

All of which leads me to believe that the only difference between these other expressions of art and the taste of food is the ability to measure them accurately. But as technology advances, there’s a good chance that could change, and when it does the court might just rule the taste of cheese – or any other artistic expression in the form of food – is copyrightable work.

September 19, 2018

Aromyx’s “Camera for Taste and Smell” Can Digitize Flavor

Have you ever wondered just exactly what mystical combination of ingredients made Coca-Cola have that distinct Coca-Cola taste?

The secret may be locked up in a heavily-guarded safe somewhere (at least that’s how I picture it), but Aromyx could probably tell you nonetheless. Based in Palo Alto, California, Aromyx is a tech company that uses a combination biochip/software system to digitize smell and taste.

To find out the flavor breakdown of, well, anything, scientists put tiny samples of the product into wells on a disposable biochip (called “the EssenceChip”) which contains olfactory receptors cloned from the human nose and tongue. A plate reader will extract data from the samples, which Aromyx’s Allegory Software Toolkit can then interpret to translate into easily digestible (ha) graphs showing the breakdown of smell and taste for whatever substance is in the EssenceChip.

In simpler terms, Aromyx’s promotional video (see below) describes the chip as “a camera for taste and smell” which can take an olfactory snapshot of any food or drink.

Today Aromyx debuted a new feature to their Allegory Software Toolkit. Dubbed Magic Search, the tool can dissect the EssenceChip’s olfactory measurements into distinct receptor responses. In human speak, that means that it can break down every scent that goes into a given product — and, since we know that smell is 80 percent of taste, Magic Search can essentially outline every possible ingredient combination that would create a particular flavor.

Though I’m clearly no flavor scientist, I could imagine this technology being used to “hack” the secret ingredients in popular CPG brands’ signature products. With Aromyx’s tech, CPG companies could easily sub out ingredients to capitalize on taste trends — such as plant-based, natural, or non-GMO food — without sacrificing taste. The company can also help suppliers compare product samples to make sure that product batches are chemically identical and, thus, consistent.

The digitization of food is a quickly-evolving space in food tech. Japanese company OpenMeals is creating a digital food platform which will allow people to 3D print any food they please, from sushi to pizza. Foodpairing creates digital flavor maps that help chefs predict which ingredients will go well together.

According to Crunchbase, Aromyx has raised $5.8 million in funding from venture capital firms as well as Stanford University. If you’re wondering what that smell is, it might be the future of digitized flavor — but Aromyx can tell you for sure.

March 7, 2018

Services that Combine Flavor and AI Are a New Food Tech Trend

Artificial Intelligence is making its way into our food system in a big way. It’s on dairy farms monitoring milk quality, in restaurants powering food-running and burger-flipping robots, and even in the kitchen, walking you through a recipe in the guise of a voice assistant or chatbot.

Lately, we’ve noticed AI playing another role in what we eat: this time in flavor development. We’ve rounded up 5 startups merging AI and flavor to help restaurants and consumers create more sophisticated dishes, teach home cooks how to make dinner, and reduce friction for food R&D.

Foodpairing

Foodpairing is a platform which uses machine learning and data analysis to create a sensory map detailing which foods taste good together. Since roughly 80% of taste actually comes from smell, they base their findings on the aromas of each ingredient. The Foodpairing Inspire Tool allows their customers—mostly professional chefs and bartenders looking to create innovative, unexpected dishes no one has tasted before, but also home cooks—to discover pairings of the more than 2,500 ingredients in their database. It markets itself as having pretty wide applications, powering everything from smart kitchen apps, e-grocery, personalized recipe and drink recommenders, and mHealth.

PlantJammer

This app (which is currently available exclusively on their website) grew out of an ex-consultant’s desire to teach himself how to improvise in the kitchen. Using flavor mapping technology similar to Foodpairing’s—both are based around aromas and use machine learning—the platform allows users to select complimentary ingredients based on what they have in their kitchen. Once the selection is complete, the algorithm generates a custom recipe. The Copenhagen-based startup hopes to use their AI-driven platform to promote plant-based cooking and reduce food waste.

dishq

Self-described “food AI company” dishq uses customer data, machine learning, and food science research to predict consumer taste preferences. They translate their findings into APIs to help their clients, which range from food delivery platforms to corporate cafeterias, provide tailored food suggestions to their customers and outline emerging food trends. As co-founder Kishan Vasani told the Spoon, dishq offers “taste analytics as a service,” allowing companies to react quickly to food trends as they are happening.

FlavorWiki at work quantifying data to report on top food trends.

FlavorWiki

FlavorWiki uses analytics to measure consumer taste and dietary preferences. They aim to unlock new applications for taste data across the food system. While they market themselves to a wide audience—everyone from major food companies to moms with picky kids—their taste-profiling technology is chiefly aimed at retailers. By creating self-described “taste archetypes,” FoodWiki hopes to help clients like CPG companies cut down on R&D costs for new products, reducing the pricey trial and error stage. If you’re curious about how exactly the FlavorWiki system works—and where it hopes to go—give our podcast with their CEO and Head of Product Daniel Proz a listen.

Gastrograph

Gastrograph is another company using AI to help food & beverage producers streamline new product development. Their technology maps the flavor preferences of individual consumers and also predicts broader consumer reception to new taste profiles. Gastrograph hopes to help create only slam-dunk food products by using machine learning and predictive algorithms—no more costly duds. If you want to hear more about this AI-driven food tech company, check out our podcast with Gastrograph CEO Jason Cohen.

For food startups and CPG developers struggling to differentiate themselves from their competitors, services that use AI to predict and develop delicious, memorable foods would be a useful investment. If flavor/AI companies can deliver on their promises—to cut R&D costs, to help chefs and home cooks create tasty recipes, and to predict emerging food trends—they could be that extra something that spells success for emerging companies, or for big food giants whose current products are starting to feel stale. Flavor/AI technology could also play a huge role in predictive restaurant ordering or grocery delivery, both of which Amazon has in the pipeline.

The bottom line for food industry folks, if you don’t have a taste for AI, you’d better develop one—and soon.

P.S. The CEO’s of Dishq and Foodpairing will be speaking at SKS Europe in June! Register today to hear them talk about how AI will change the way we buy & eat food. 

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