Proactively Welcoming the Food Evolution

Scott M. Danchise, Food Service Director, The Nutrition Group

Scott M. Danchise started his career like most as a busperson and dishwasher, eventually working the way up to a line cook. I went to culinary school in 1996 and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts/Restaurant Management in 1999. Since, Scott has been running kitchens all over the state of Ohio from Country Clubs to working for Retirement communities.  About 3 years ago he left the position of Director of Nutritional Services at Ohio Living (Retirement Community) and was onboarded by the Nutrition Group as the Director of Food Service at Niles City School district.   

Optimizations in the food and beverage (F&B) sector have witnessed groundbreaking changes in the last 10 years. These transformations have birthed new-age resourcing, production and distribution of products in the industry. Scott M. Danchise is eyeing this evolution closely with his team of experts and discusses the role of automation in enhancing industry-wide adjustments.  

Significant advancements impacting the F&B industry

The most prominent trends that I believe will impact our industry are plant-based foods, functional foods, cultured meats and food production automation.  Functional foods have health-promoting properties beyond their nutritional value and their market is expected to grow. Today, cultured meat is a sector set to have a huge impact on the food system in the coming years.  They are grown in controlled environments, removing the need for animal slaughter and resource-intensive farming.  Food production automation can help companies produce products more quickly and efficiently and with the current labor situation, this can be something that comes sooner than expected.

“Food production automation can help companies produce products more quickly and efficiently and with the current labor situation, this can be something that comes sooner than expected”

Ready for the hurdles in the F&B marketing landscape

I feel that over the next decade, we will face labor shortages, economic uncertainty and rising operational costs.  Automation will be one of the items that helps us with these inconsistencies.  As far as the rising operation costs, there is not much one can do except plan expenses better and be prepared for these skyrocketing costs.  Integrating automation can mitigate these challenges, helping firms curb labor expenses.

Process and methods at The Nutrition Group

Our Nutrition Group comprises individuals that look at our future and what we need to be ready for.  The team has great insight on trends and is constantly doing what they have to in order for the rest of the company in terms of training or proactive measures.

Mindful adoption of emerging technologies and other approaches

One has to ensure research and discover the possibilities of any technology up for purchase.  Avoid making a quick decision because there is always something better the next day. Make sure it is what you need.  A lot of this software is expensive and if you select the wrong thing, it could result in setbacks.