Nestlé R&D is collaborating with IBM Research to develop new tools that harness the power of AI and advanced technology to create breakthrough innovations. This research collaboration has led to the development of a generative AI tool that can identify new high-barrier packaging materials.

Packaging helps protect food and beverages while preventing food waste. Nestlé is continuously reducing the use of virgin plastic, experimenting with alternative materials and new technologies, and moving to recyclable mono-material and paper solutions. Identifying new packaging materials that meet the functional needs of each product, while ensuring food safety and quality, is often a painstaking task. In some cases, it takes years of research.

Nestlé and IBM scientists used AI-based processing techniques to build a knowledge base of known materials from public and proprietary documents. The team then refined a chemical language model on this curated corpus, enabling it to learn how to represent molecular structures. Using this knowledge, the teams leveraged IBM Research’s recently developed regression transformer to learn how key molecular structural features correlate with the resulting physical-chemical properties. The resulting model can now propose entirely new high-barrier packaging materials that protect sensitive products from moisture, temperature changes, and oxygen.

Nestlé will use this new technology to identify future packaging materials, taking into account costs, recyclability and functionality.

“This new AI-powered language model, developed in collaboration with IBM Research, illustrates how Nestlé is driving digital transformation in the food and beverage industry. In the future, this revolutionary technology could be used to optimize the development of more sustainable packaging solutions across all product categories,” said Stefan Palzer , Chief Technology Officer at Nestlé.

For his part, Alessandro Curioni , vice president of IBM Research for Europe and Africa, says: "We believe that generative artificial intelligence will continue to revolutionize scientific discovery, impacting the core business of all knowledge-based industries, enabling critical differentiation and sustainable growth".

Nestlé continues to leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and automation to drive innovation and help manage complexity. For example, the group has developed a recipe optimization tool that uses advanced algorithms to help product developers better manage trade-offs between ingredients, nutritional values, costs and sustainability, while meeting consumer expectations. The company also uses digital twins of equipment and production lines to optimize manufacturing processes and has developed digital tools to offer personalized nutritional solutions for people and pets (read EFA News story ).

Nestlé recently announced the creation of a new advanced technology R&D center, the first of its kind in the food and nutrition industry. The new center will investigate, test and develop new generations of sensors, robots, coding systems, high-performance artificial intelligence solutions and virtual/mixed reality to increase efficiency in research, innovation and operations.