Meal Delivery Startup Hungryroot Utilizes AI for Precise Portioning to Combat Food Waste

By John Lopez

May 07, 2024 05:01 PM EDT

About one-third of all food produced in the United States is wasted and in landfills. Hungryroot, a meal delivery startup, contributes to the fight against food waste by using artificial intelligence (AI) to precisely portion.

Citing a recent study, CNBC tells us that food production contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, with 26% attributed to this sector. While many believe that eating locally reduces carbon footprints, transport emissions only comprise 6% of total food emissions.

Instead, supply chain emissions, which include food waste, play a more substantial role. Hungryroot acknowledges this and has integrated AI into its operations to minimize waste - but how?

Slashing Food Wastes One Precise Portion at a Time

Hungryroot is committed to giving customers precisely what they need for their week. Through a comprehensive questionnaire covering food preferences, allergies, and cooking habits, Hungryroot's AI technology creates personalized grocery plans. This tailored approach reduces food waste and simplifies the cooking process for customers.

Customers receive a list of recommended items for their weekly cart, which they can approve or modify. Hungryroot's algorithms even consider factors like surplus inventory, recommending more of an item if it's readily available.

This attention to detail has reportedly led to an impressive 80% reduction in food waste at Hungryroot's facilities compared to traditional supermarkets.

Thousands Of San Francisco Area Restaurants Turn Food Waste Into Fertilizer — SAN FRANCISCO - APRIL 21: A cook at MoMo's restaurant empties food scraps into a larger recycling container April 21, 2009 in San Francisco, California. Norcal Waste Systems is collecting food scraps from nearly 2,000 restaurants in San Francisco and thousands of single-family homes and are turning the scraps to make high quality, nutrient rich compost that gets sold back to Bay Area farmers. The garbage company has turned 105,000 tons of fodd scraps into 20,000 tons of compost.
(Photo : (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))

Hungryroot Achieves Profitability in E-Commerce Food Market

Jeremy Liew, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and backer of Hungryroots, told CNBC that the company has been profitable for three to four years, which is uncommon for many e-commerce food businesses. Hungryroot's financial success demonstrates the viability of its model despite being in the competitive e-commerce food industry.

Hungryroot's operational model offers flexibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness to customers. With plans starting at $69, individuals can enjoy personalized grocery deliveries tailored to their dietary needs and preferences.