How digitalization is transforming the food and beverage manufacturing industry

• January 06, 2022

It is time to digitalize

Food and beverage (F&B) manufacturing, like all manufacturing, is becoming smarter and more efficient, and one of the key reasons for this is the increasing use of digitalization.

While the adoption of digitalization for F&B manufacturing is in its early stages, it is already delivering impressive results. Greater digitalization is opening up new possibilities by enabling the application of data, analytics, the cloud, and cutting-edge computing to support supply chain and manufacturing processes.

Increased digitalization can improve efficiency and productivity while ensuring consistent product quality. It enables improvements in supply chain management, sales and customer service, quality control, and procurement. In F&B manufacturing specifically, two significant benefits of increased digitalization are better traceability and enhanced food safety.

Keep up with your customers, maximize production, and cut out waste

From a technological perspective, digitalization speeds up the process towards automating traditional manufacturing practices and optimized production. From a consumer perspective, smart data capturing and analysis allow companies to keep up with changing customer preferences. From an environmental perspective, maximizing manufacturing processes and reducing waste assists with sustainability goals.

In the U.S., where the F&B manufacturing sector is very healthy, the benefits of digitalization are increasingly recognized. That is mirrored in Missouri, which has a thriving industry and is home to more than 400 food processing companies. In fact, the three top industry sectors for business attraction in Missouri are F&B, manufacturing, and logistics/distribution, offering a dependable delivery system for perishable goods. 

For companies looking to expand their global operations, the U.S. is a safe environment for investment, with its commitment to intellectual property protection, the rule of law, and massive consumer market. For F&B manufacturing specifically, there is a solid commitment to food safety, efficient distribution networks to serve both the food service industry and the retail grocery store system, and we are on the front lines of new product development and sustainable practices.

Why choose Missouri?

Missouri reflects all of these benefits and more. There is an incredible amount of innovation in support of digitalizing the state’s F&B sector, such as brewing company Anheuser-Busch leveraging technology to better engage with customers.

Missouri provides a fertile environment for food ingredients: our agriculture industry contributes $33 billion to Missouri’s economy, generates nearly $94 billion in sales and more than 378,000 jobs. Missouri is consistently a leading production state for multiple crops and livestock categories and has a world-famous wine and beer heritage.

There is a significant cluster of food companies headquartered in Missouri, including Anheuser-Busch, Boulevard Brewing, Bunge, Farmland Foods, Hostess Brands, National Beef Packing Company, Post Holdings, Russell Stover, and Triumph Foods. Furthermore, Missouri’s strategic location in the dynamic Midwest, with the Mississippi River, the modern interstate system, and extensive rail network, provides easy access to consumers throughout North America. It also allows raw materials to be brought to factories quickly at an affordable price. 

Contact our team at Missouri Partnership today, and let’s discuss how we can help you digitalize your F&B business.