Artificial Intelligence is being expressed as a solution for catering businesses to identify allergens in meals. And at a 2024 national catering equipment conference I attended, the content included lots of references to AI being used for waste control, nutrient data capture and even food safety.

So, food hypersensitive customers may well begin to trust AI solutions used by hospitality businesses for allergen detection, but are we ready as caterers and do we really think our customers are ready?

These systems use advanced technologies like machine learning, computer vision, and sensor data to identify potential allergens in food items. Here is a brief overview of how it works:

  • Ingredient Analysis: AI systems can analyse the ingredients of a dish by scanning labels or even images of the food. This helps in identifying known allergens.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Sensors and imaging technologies can detect allergens in real-time during food preparation and packaging. This ensures that cross-contamination risks are minimised.
  • Predictive Modelling: AI can predict potential allergens based on historical data and patterns, helping to prevent accidental exposure.
  • Non-Destructive Testing: Methods like Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) allow for allergen detection without altering the food.

These technologies potentially offer a promising avenue for enhancing food safety and providing peace of mind for customers with food allergies.

Research in this area however is, to the lay person, confusing and more like science fiction rather than fact and reality. The more we learn, however, the more we understand that technology to this degree is not that far away.

Attendees, at the above event, got to see to the latest robotic catering solution: robot chefs and of course manufacturing robotics. It also featured some ingenious AI and demonstrations where, in hospitality, AI is quite common.

We already have online cloud-based menus with allergen contents for customers to look up and sophisticated websites and apps where food hypersensitive customers can enter ingredients that they are allergic or intolerant to and make menu suggestions for their order.

On a practical level we must all continue to believe there is no cure for food allergens only avoidance and therefore full allergen disclosure for our customers and manging allergens correctly is paramount!

Julian Edwards, CEO, Allergen Accreditation