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Food fraud prevention expanding with AI

The Director of the Food Fraud Prevention Academy says efforts are increasing to identify artificial intelligence supply chain risk factors.

John Spink’s food fraud prevention research at Michigan State University has helped create national and international regulatory standards for the food supply chain for more than a decade.

“It’s intentional deception for economic gain using food,” he explains. “What that means is people cheating somehow with our food, either putting something in it, diluting it, changing the country of origin, or even things like less weight than is supposed to be in there.”

He’s teaching students how AI can conduct vulnerability assessments and identify weaknesses.

“The vast majority of food does not have a food fraud problem,” he says. “In addition, the vast majority of food fraud incidents that do occur don’t have a public health problem.”

AI systems can manipulate different aspects of the supply chain, but Spink says it can also be used to monitor fraud, improve traceability, and reduce risks for companies.

Brownfield interviewed Spink during the recent Michigan Food Protection Task Force Annual Meeting in East Lansing.