IFDA Launches Knowelle™ – An Innovative AI Agent for Foodservice Distribution Industry
McLEAN, Va – June 24, 2025 – The International Foodservice Distribution Association (IFDA) is excited to announce the launch of Knowelle™, an innovative AI agent designed to enhance value for IFDA members by providing instant access to the association’s comprehensive research and insights portfolio.
Knowelle™ serves as an intelligent knowledge companion that helps foodservice distributors quickly find industry-specific information without having to search through multiple publications manually. The AI agent draws from IFDA’s extensive research library, thought-leadership publications, white papers, Crave podcast episodes, and information about IFDA events, programs, and membership.
“Leveraging IFDA’s proprietary research portfolio, Knowelle™ becomes a one-stop-shop for foodservice distributors to quickly find industry-specific information,” said Mark S. Allen, president and CEO of IFDA. “Our goal in developing Knowelle™ is to improve access to valuable IFDA insights, including our industry-leading benchmarking survey data, which will support IFDA members as they make key business decisions.”
Key Features of Knowelle™:
Comprehensive Access: Knowelle™ has access to all current IFDA research reports, thought-leadership publications, white paper library, publicly available IFDA website content, and Crave podcast episodes
Member-Focused Design: After answering three initial questions, users are prompted to log in with their IFDA member credentials for continued access
Secure and Reliable: Unlike general AI tools, Knowelle™ is not connected to the internet at large, ensuring responses are based solely on trusted IFDA sources
Instant Information: Provides summarized information from IFDA sources to help members make informed business decisions quickly
The technical approach for Knowelle™ uses industry-standard retrieval augmented generation (RAG) for large language models, pulling information exclusively from relevant and reliable internal IFDA documents while maintaining data security within IFDA’s hosting environment.
Like any generative AI tool, users should be aware that Knowelle’s output is not a substitute for expert advice, and IFDA encourages users to contact IFDA staff to verify specific information or context when needed.
To access Knowelle™, visit https://ifdaonline.org/knowelle/
About The International Foodservice Distributors Association
The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) is the premier trade organization representing the $400 billion foodservice distribution industry. This industry ensures a safe and efficient supply of food and products to more than one million restaurants and foodservice outlets in the U.S. daily. For more information, visit www.ifdaonline.org.
About Chipp.ai
Knowelle was built using Chipp.ai’s AI agent platform, which specializes in creating intelligent, domain-specific AI solutions for organizations.
Media Contact:
Kristen Petersen
kpetersen@ifdaonline.org
