Digitalization of the food industry

2025: Ubiquitous adoption of digital technologies is one of the key trends in the Russian food industry

The Russian food industry faces major transformations. Traditional approaches to working with consumers are changing, production processes are transforming, and adaptation to changing external conditions is taking place, creating a new, dynamic ecosystem. According to analytical research, the development of the industry in the coming years will be determined by three main areas: increasing dominance, retail chains widespread adoption of digital technologies and relevance. import substitution Such data on August 20, 2025 TAdviser , experts from the Russian manufacturer of cookies and gingerbread "" - Beloved Krai a system-forming enterprise shared with. Leningrad Region

There is a tectonic shift: the interaction of food producers with retail chains becomes not just important, but decisive. If in 2020 sales to federal chains amounted to 65%, then by 2025 this figure will reach an impressive 84%. This consolidation, reinforced by the growth of discounters, forces manufacturers to focus not so much on the end consumer as on the needs and requirements of the retailer.

As a result, direct communication between the brand and the buyer is disrupted, and Proprietary Trademarks (STM) of networks come to the fore. Their share grew rapidly, reaching 8.2% of total sales. For retail, STM is a gold mine: low cost due to savings in marketing, high margin, quality control and the ability to offer a unique assortment, forming customer loyalty to the network itself.

For manufacturers, though, it's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the production of STM guarantees the volume and capacity utilization. On the other hand, it deprives them of recognition, the ability to build long-term relationships with the consumer and compete with their own brands. The fight for shelf space between eminent brands and actively promoted STMs will only intensify, demanding unprecedented efficiency and flexibility from manufacturers.

The second, no less important trend is total automation and robotization of production processes. This is not just a buzzword, but a strategic necessity dictated by the desire to increase efficiency, reduce cost and solve the problem of a shortage of qualified personnel.

The introduction of MES (Manufacturing Execution System) becomes the cornerstone of this digital transformation. These intelligent systems enable:

• Save 8-15% due to accurate accounting of raw materials and minimization of overproduction.

• Reduce complaints by 20-35% due to total quality control and production stability meeting all standards (including tightening HACCPs).

Automation of unskilled operations - from packaging and packaging to transportation - is being actively implemented. Today, market leaders automate 70-90% of routine processes, medium-sized enterprises - 30-60%, and small ones - for now 10-30%. However, by 2025-2030, large players will achieve almost complete automation (90-95%), and small businesses will accelerate implementation thanks to the availability of cloud MES solutions and collaborative robots, which are becoming more flexible and economical - said Alexey Medvedev, General Director of JSC "KO" Favorite Land. "

The transformation of the external economic environment, although creating serious technological barriers, simultaneously acts as a catalyst for deep structural change. Increasing logistics costs by 30% and downtime of up to two months, leading to a loss of 15% efficiency, force us to look for new ways. The solution is obvious - import substitution. The restructuring of global supply chains and the change in market conditions, although they create short-term difficulties (possible problems with assortment and inflation), open up unprecedented opportunities for the domestic food industry. This is a chance to occupy the vacated niches, expand and strengthen production. Success in this race will depend on the ability of Russian companies to quickly adapt, increase capacity, maintain high quality and offer competitive prices.

2024: Food Industry Technology Trends Identified

Experts from the Center for the Development of Financial Technologies (CRFT) of Rosselkhozbank analyzed the main trends in the technological development of the world food sector. Among them are the emergence of new tastes, alternative food and food production technologies, as well as a change in public consumer behavior. This was announced on February 7, 2024 by Rosselkhozbank.

The food industry, not only in Russia, but throughout the world, is inevitably subject to constant changes and technological adaptation against the background of the rapidly growing population of the planet and the accompanying escalating need for the imminent achievement of international food security. In turn, the technological development of the food industry is inextricably linked with the change in the culture of consumption itself: against its background, the internal attitudes and eating habits of consumers change, which, in turn, affect the trajectory of innovation.

Experts from the Center for Financial Technology Development analyzed international food trends, the results of which are presented in the material "Food of the Future" on the platform "RSHB in numbers." The study was conducted on the basis of data from industry unions and analytical agencies, as well as information from open sources.

RSHB analysts have brought out several global food trends in different areas of food production. One of them concerns the field of industry innovation, which focuses mainly on the direction of cultivation of new types of food ("alternative food") and the development of an innovative food production methodology. In particular, we are talking about products grown using regenerative agriculture tools, synthetic meat and fish alternatives, as well as using 3D printers and other tools.

Analysts also note significant changes in the culture of eating in a technological society: increasingly, consumers choose locally produced products, flexitarian diets (an intermediate stage between meat eating and vegetarianism), complex slow-cooked dishes ("slow food"), while paying attention, first of all, to the nutrient composition of food, and not its appearance. Against this background, the popularity of edible packaging is also growing, which reduces environmental pollution and allows more efficient use of production waste.

Renewable and edible ingredients and organic substances such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and fats are used to create such films and coatings. For example, starch, collagen, gelatin, gluten, casein, beeswax and fatty acids. The annual growth of the edible packaging market through 2030 will range from 4-6%.

The high-tech segment never stands still, various solutions, trends and phenomena constantly appear, simultaneously reflecting and generating the specifics of their unique time. The food industry is no exception. Due to the rapid growth of the world population, environmental threats, the coronavirus pandemic, which significantly destabilized supply chains, the issue of providing Russians with food is more important than ever. In this situation, technologies come to the rescue that create a resource for creating the country's food security, "said Elena Baturova, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Rosselkhozbank.

See also

• Food industry in Russia