The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council this week held an open meeting to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety.
‘AI in Food Safety: Innovation, Risks and Opportunities’ brought together leading experts to explore the potential of AI and its real-world applications in reshaping the future of food safety systems.
Over 220 people registered for the event, which took place on Tuesday 25 February at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, with a lineup of Irish and international speakers from the FSAI and representatives from UCD, Kerry Foods, Teagasc, TOMRA, Crème Global and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
Chaired by author and journalist Suzanne Campbell, the event also offered insights into the practical applications of AI technologies, including machine learning, predictive modelling and machine vision, highlighting their potential to revolutionise food safety systems.
Discussions also addressed the challenges and risks associated with AI implementation, underscoring the necessity for robust regulatory frameworks and ongoing research.
‘Ask Critical Questions’
The chief executive of FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne also highlighted that while AI offers incredible opportunities for enhancing food safety, it also comes with potential risks.
Dr Byrne said, “Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can enhance our food safety systems in ways we have never seen before.
“From ensuring traceability in the food supply chain to creating predictive models for disease outbreaks and implementing machine vision systems for quality control, AI is already becoming embedded in the day-to-day operations of the agri-food sector.
“As we stand at the intersection of innovation and responsibility, we must be mindful of both the tremendous opportunities and the inherent risks associated with these technological advances.
“We must ask critical questions: how can we leverage AI to enhance food safety while safeguarding public trust?
“What steps must we take to ensure that AI technologies are applied responsibly, in line with legislation and best practice, and that the reliance on emerging technologies does not compromise food safety standards?
“The FSAI remains committed to embracing technology while upholding the highest standards of food safety and consumer protection.”
Attendees also heard contributions from Dr Brian McNamee, associate professor at the UCD School of Computer Science; Dr Marc Wagner, data analytics and AI lead at Kerry Foods; Dr Geraldine Duffy, research officer at Teagasc; Dr Brendan Byrne, technology manager, artificial intelligence, TOMRA; William O’Sullivan, head of data science at Crème Global; Elske van der Vaart, data scientist at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority; Gail Carroll, director of regulatory affairs and compliance building at FSAI; and Cormac McElhinney, acting manager data centric project at FSAI.
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