Robotic revolution: Korean food tech firm automates fried chicken amid fast-food labor shortages

25 Sep 2023 --- Robo Arete, a South Korean start-up, is integrating robotics into the art of cooking fried chicken, optimizing traditional practices with technological innovation. The move comes as companies strive to overcome labor shortages in the country’s fast-food industry due to South Korea’s declining birth rate.

Currently, the company is employing automation to address both labor cost concerns and workforce shortages.

“I can envision a restaurant where robots from a smart farm directly harvest produce and bring it to the adjacent kitchen, where chef robots prepare the food, and serving robots deliver it to the tables,” Jiyoung Kang, CEO of Robo Arete, tells Food Ingredients First. 

In a country known for its vibrant culinary tradition, fried chicken is a popular delicacy. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea, the country’s annual chicken consumption per person is around 15.4 kg. The fried chicken market, propelled by the large demand, is estimated to be valued at approximately KRW 7 trillion (US$5.3 billion).

Pop force behind the global craze
According to a Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Korean Food Promotion Institute report, Korean-style fried chicken has been voted the most popular Korean dish among non-Koreans worldwide.

The cuisine is prepared through a brining and double-frying technique, resulting in its distinctive crispy exterior. However, this method, which stands in contrast to the more streamlined approaches employed by American fast-food chains, entails additional labor demands and necessitates prolonged worker exposure to high-temperature frying oil.Korean fried chicken is prepared through a brining and double-frying technique, resulting in its distinctive crispy exterior.

On the international market, the adaptability of the dish’s sauce makes it easy to tailor to local preferences. 

In the Middle East, fried chicken tends to be coated with a soy sauce-based dressing. In the US, chicken is typically served with a honey-based sauce, while customers in Southeast Asia often enjoy a spicy sauce crafted from red peppers.

Moreover, in the past few years, the South Korean group BTS has promoted its food on an international stage, creating a cultural food trend. 

Whether it’s the celebrities savoring Korean fried chicken or the band introducing the “BTS Meal” at McDonald’s, complete with a sauce inspired by Korean-style fried chicken, the boy band has captured the global audience’s attention with their favorite dish.

Merging culinary arts with tech
As a global cultural force, South Korea determined last year to invest millions of dollars into “food tech” aimed at supporting start-ups focused on cutting-edge solutions within the food industry. 

According to Lee Ki-won, a food science professor at Seoul National University, the food tech sector, ranging from AI smart kitchens to vegan egg start-ups, is already worth millions. Major players, taking cues from companies like Samsung Electronics, are looking into combining technology with food production.

Meanwhile, Kang elaborates on the potential of integrating robotics into the process of cooking fried chicken. “A robotic engineer once said, ‘It often feels more challenging for a robot to evenly spread jam on a slice of bread than to perform acrobatics.’ I share the same sentiment,” she says, emphasizing the difficulties in automating processes involving irregular shapes and varying viscosities, typical in culinary tasks like frying chicken.

To overcome these obstacles, Robo Arete focused on developing a robotic arm specialized in frying, achieving consistency and frying quality. The mechanical arm can fry 100 chickens in two hours, a task that would typically demand approximately five individuals and multiple deep fryers. 

“Now, I take pride in having developed a robot that fries better than anyone else,” Kang asserts.

Balancing tradition and innovation
Integrating robots into creating Korean cuisine, known for its complexity and variety, necessitates a gradual approach. The nature of Korean food involves a variety of side dishes and cooking methods.

Confronting the challenge, Kang explains: “Teaching a robot to excel at various tasks, especially cooking, is a formidable challenge. That’s why it’s crucial to start by mastering one of the cooking processes, such as boiling, steaming, or grilling, before attempting others.”Robots also hold the potential to bring about improvements in health and safety standards in food preparation.

“Changing cooking methods can potentially exacerbate the difficulties, making it even more complex.”

“If you program robots to make delicious dishes, they will consistently produce tasty food, and if you program them for less appetizing meals, they will consistently make less enjoyable food.” 

“If we could teach robots the skilled techniques of renowned sushi chefs, we could enjoy truly delicious sushi every time. It’s only natural to expect an overall improvement in the quality of food in that case.”

Health and sustainability
Robots also hold the potential to bring about improvements in health and safety standards in food preparation. They offer a cleaner and more hygienic alternative to human chefs, contributing to superior food quality and safety.

Kang elaborates on the possibilities: “When a robot’s culinary skills have significantly improved to the point where it can operate autonomously, one can imagine that controlling a kitchen with such a robot chef would result in exceptionally hygienic food preparation.”

“I contemplate the idea of developing delicious alternative protein foods designed to reduce our carbon footprint, with robots even handling the frying process for these plant-based options.”

“We are considering creating vegan-friendly fried dishes.”

By Sichong Wang