A meeting was held today (Tuesday, February 25) to explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety and how it could reshape the future of food safety systems.

The meeting was held by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council at the Gibson Hotel in Co. Dublin where over 220 people registered for the event.

It included a line up of Irish and international speakers from the FSAI and representatives from Univesity College Dublin (UCD), Kerry Foods, Teagasc, Creme Global, and The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. 

Chief executive of the FSAI Dr. Pamela Byrne said that while AI offers "incredible opportunities" for enhancing food safety, it also comes with "potential risks".

 “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," Dr. Byrne said.

 “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," Dr. Byrne added.

She said that questions such as the following should be asked as AI makes advancements: "How can we leverage AI to enhance food safety while safeguarding public trust?" and "What steps must we take to ensure that AI technologies are applied responsibly, in line with legislation and best practice?"

The event also offered insights into 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 need for regulatory frameworks and ongoing research.