How AI is Revolutionizing Nutrition Transparency in the Food Industry

How healthy is the food we buy? This is a big question for many people—investors, governments, consumers, and even competitors in the food industry. Unfortunately, clear answers are hard to find. Reports on healthy versus unhealthy food sales are often outdated or hard to come by.

But a change is coming. The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi) aims to make it easier to track how healthy food portfolios are. Using artificial intelligence, ATNi is working to provide real-time insights into the healthiness of products sold by food companies.

The goal is ambitious: ATNi wants at least 50% of all supermarket products to be healthy by 2030, up from the current 34%. They are already monitoring major food and beverage companies to encourage them to improve their offerings.

Currently, ATNi publishes its Global Index every two to three years, along with country-specific reports in places like Kenya, India, Tanzania, the US, and the UK. However, real-time monitoring of food healthiness is the dream, and ATNi plans to achieve this with its upcoming Nutrition Transformation Hub.

“We want to constantly measure and track progress,” says Aurélie Reynier, head of data and AI at ATNi. This would allow companies to see their rankings update right after they make healthier choices, rather than waiting years for a new index.

In the latest Global Index from 2024, companies that ranked highest for healthier products included Yili Group, Danone, and Barilla. On the flip side, Ferrero Group, Hershey, and Mondelēz found themselves in the bottom rankings.

The new Nutrition Transformation Hub will let companies conduct self-assessments of their product portfolios. ATNi will then perform quick audits to verify the results. Reynier emphasizes that AI can help combat issues like reporting fatigue for companies. “AI can guide them through the self-assessment process,” she explains.

More streamlined reporting is also on the horizon. ATNi can assist companies by pre-filling details using available data. The onus will be on the companies to verify this information, saving time and effort.

ATNi is also exploring how AI can inform the reformulation strategies of food manufacturers. Using established nutrition profiling systems like Australia’s Health Star Rating or Europe’s Nutri-Score, companies can identify quick wins for improving their scores. “We aim to help companies focus on reducing sugar, salt, and fat, which are often the easiest changes to implement,” Reynier explains.

The benefits extend beyond companies. Policymakers can make more informed decisions about food regulation if they have access to clearer data on product healthiness. This data could help shape healthier food environments in communities.

In the future, ATNi also hopes to share information directly with consumers, making nutrition labels and product health information easier to navigate. “Making large amounts of information accessible to shoppers is crucial,” Reynier states.

Overall, the push for healthier options in supermarkets is more important than ever. ATNi’s vision for 2030 highlights that while healthy food currently makes up about 34% of offerings worldwide, some regions see as little as 15%. Tools like the Nutrition Transformation Hub are essential for driving the change needed to reach these goals.

Incorporating more health-conscious options into our diets could drastically improve public health outcomes. With ongoing developments in AI and data transparency, we are one step closer to achieving a healthier food landscape.

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