The Magnum Ice Cream Company taps NotCo AI for product innovation

Dive Brief:

• Unilever’s The Magnum Ice Cream Company is planning to use NotCo’s artificial intelligence platform to develop new products and nutritional profiles, the companies said in a statement.
• The partnership aims to “unlock new opportunities for smarter, faster product development” by combining Magnum’s ties to the consumer and expertise in ice cream with NotCo’s advanced AI capabilities.
• The announcement comes about a month before Unilever plans to spin off The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The division, which generated $9.3 billion in revenue last year through brands such as Klondike, Breyers and Talenti, will become the largest ice cream company in the world.

Dive Insight:

Consumer preferences on portion sizes, sustainability, nutrition, flavors and ingredients present "complex challenges that require new tools” for food companies, Zbigniew Lewicki, chief research, design and innovation officer at The Magnum Ice Cream Company, said in a statement.

“Our partnership with NotCo is helping us explore how AI can accelerate our ability to respond to these shifts, unlocking smarter ways to innovate without compromising the quality and experience people expect from our ice cream brands, as well as expanding beyond traditional boundaries of ice cream,” Lewicki said.

Magnum will use NotCo's platform Giuseppe AI for product innovation and solve complex formulation challenges. The companies could expand their relationship into other markets depending on the success of the initial partnership. 

Unilever is no stranger to using AI across its business. 

The London-based CPG company has incorporated the technology into assessing shelf life, texture and taste for several food products, along with forecasting flavor profiles and consumer preferences. AI also has helped it launch several new products, such as Knorr Zero Salt Cube and Hellmann’s Real Mayo Squeeze Bottle.

As food and beverage companies seek to boost innovation and maintain their competitive edge amid changing consumer tastes, many businesses are incorporating AI throughout their operations, including product development. Kraft Heinz, for example, is using it to produce a better Claussen pickle, while Coca-Cola is turning to AI to combat a plant disease decimating the orange supply.

The deal with Magnum marks the latest company NotCo has partnered with in recent years. In 2022, NotCo partnered with food giant Kraft Heinz to develop plant-based versions of many of Kraft Heinz’s top brands, including mayonnaise, sliced cheese, Mac & Cheese and Oscar Mayer hot dogs.