The Center for Data Innovation recently spoke with Alon Chen, CEO of Tastewise, an Israel-based company using an AI-powered platform to analyze food and beverage trends and in real-time. Chen discussed how Tastewise leverages data to help brands innovate faster and meet evolving consumer demands.
Kertai: In what ways does your AI platform uncover emerging food and beverage trends?
Chen: We identify emerging trends by analyzing over a trillion data points in real-time, giving us a dynamic view of how consumer preferences evolve across platforms and regions. Our platform draws from a vast range of sources, including 75 billion social media posts, one trillion online recipes, millions of restaurant menus and reviews, and hundreds of thousands of grocery products, to track what people are engaging with, cooking, ordering, and discussing. We then apply advanced AI models to turn this raw data into clear, actionable insights.
For example, we use models to group similar entities, like identifying restaurant chains or classifying comparable product types. Our neural networks help segment consumers based on shared behaviors, interests, and values. We also link data across platforms, such as connecting a restaurant’s listings across various delivery apps, to build a unified, comprehensive view. These tools allow us to cut through the noise, spot early signals of change, and deliver predictive insights that brands can use with confidence.
Kertai: What challenges come with applying AI driven insights to the food industry?
Chen: Food is deeply personal and culturally nuanced, which makes applying AI both exciting and complex. A major challenge is ensuring our models reflect not just global trends, but also local preferences around flavor, health, and sustainability. These, in some cases, can vary dramatically, even between states, so we’ve designed our platform to deliver hyper-local insights using geotagged data and regional analysis. Another key challenge is maintaining the human touch. We pair machine learning with food expertise from industry experts to ensure our insights are not just accurate, but culturally relevant and meaningful.
Kertai: How does your approach differ from traditional market research methods?
Chen: Traditional research tools like surveys, focus groups, and syndicated reports often take over a year to influence product development, a timeline that simply doesn’t match the pace of today’s market. In contrast, Tastewise delivers execution-ready insights in real-time, based on what consumers are actually eating, cooking, searching, and sharing in the moment. Our proprietary generative AI transforms this live data into innovation ideas, marketing content, and sales materials that brands can act on immediately. It’s not just about identifying trends, it’s about enabling teams to respond to them quickly and meaningfully.
Kertai: What are some of the most significant impacts Tastewise has had on the food industry?
Chen: A great example is our work with Waitrose, a leading U.K. supermarket chain. Using Tastewise, they launched a Japanese-inspired product line of 26 items in just nine months, 25 percent faster than their usual timeline. The range attracted a younger demographic and drove an average spending increase of $5 per visit. Another success story is Campbell’s. For the past two years, their marketing team has used our trend data to shape seasonal and monthly campaigns grounded in real-time consumer interests. These insights have helped them create more relevant, resonant messaging and build stronger emotional connections with their customers.
Kertai: How do you ensure your AI insights remain actionable and aligned with real-time client needs?
Chen: We ensure our AI platform’s insights remain actionable and aligned with real-time needs by designing every part of our platform to drive immediate, practical outcomes. Our in-house content team collaborates with brands to test creative concepts, tailor messaging, and localize campaigns for different regions and audiences. For consumer packaged goods brands, we provide detailed guidance on which product formats, claims, and shelf placements perform best, even down to specific aisles in specific stores. This level of precision helps brands launch smarter, more effective campaigns, while consumers benefit from products that better reflect their evolving tastes and needs. Ultimately, we help brands stay agile, relevant, and competitive in a rapidly shifting marketplace.
