Innovative Technology Revolutionizes The Food Industry

During my lifetime I have witnessed and played a supporting role in developing some of the technologies that are being used today in providing food for many of America's tables.

I remember a period of American history before television, penicillin, polio shots, and frozen foods when farming was done the old fashioned way. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon.

Over the past half century, American technology has revolutionized just about every facet of life that we are accustomed to. Computers and IT (Information Technology) are at the forefront of many of the innovations that we take for granted today.

Take the food industry as an example. Fifty years ago or so, the farming industry was aided by many mechanical devices which were considered state-of-the-art for that time period. Even with the assistance of machines there were many farming task and other logistical considerations that had to be done by humans before the agricultural / farming products could be transported from field to table.

Today with the aid of computers and associated software, a farmer can get information on soil samples, figure out the best conditions for raising his crops, estimate ideal harvest times and weather conditions and so forth. The list goes on and on as to the amount of data that is available to streamline ideal farming conditions and produce windfall harvest increases daily.

Once the agricultural / farm products are produced the question of how to get them to market arises.

This is where transportation and logistics come into play. Technology plays a key role here. Scheduling, invoicing, inventory, storage and transporting plus many more pieces of this logistical puzzle must be addressed and this is where the computer and it's associated software shine.

In today's American society, it seems that time is at a premium and that everything must be done fast. I am not sure where this concept originated (probably during the production era.)

Many more of our citizens are eating out in restaurants, cafes and the likes today than in the past. Also, due to our technology advances, we are able to grow and harvest agricultural / farming products from all over the world and have them shipped here regardless of the season. We can obtain practically any food item of choice from practically any country in the world, for a price. Add the cell phone technology to this equation, which gives one the option to order practically anything at a moment's notice and presto!... We have a gastronomic utopia!

Category: news