Open Food Data
Examples
Justin Massa:
"There is a ton of opportunity in newly available government data, crowdsourcing data, and recent advancements in data mining tech. Mix in the soon-to-be ubiquitous smartphone and the power of HTML5, and you have a recipe for an entirely new food data industry.
The roots of this new industry go back to the 1980s, when Information Resources Inc. (IRI) pioneered using technology to collect data on consumer packaged goods and consumers. IRI would inspire a slew of CPG data companies and transform the grocery industry. But, for more than 20 years, CPG and other food-related data would remain inaccessible to all but large corporations. Barriers of connectivity, processing power, design, and data analysis tools prevented individuals as well as small and medium sized businesses from using food data to make smarter decisions.
Fortunately, those barriers are quickly disappearing. From grocery to recipes to restaurants, a new wave of startups are solving problems along the data spectrum, from collecting raw data to delivering insight:
- Foodzy and FoodontheTable empower users to track and plan their meals to save money and make healthier choices.
- Punchfork and Yummly are aggregating and normalizing massive databases of recipes and building some amazing APIs while CookItFor.Us creates an entirely new, FTD-style network of bakers, caterers, and ‘cravers’ by crowdsourcing demand; and
- Forkly, Chewsy, and (my own company) Food Genius are connecting consumers to restaurants around specific dishes whileNess and Alfred are developing new ways to discover restaurants."