AI food scanners: a breakthrough in waste reduction

The technology also helps healthcare teams with nutrition management

Spotted: Our plates have a big carbon footprint, with food production responsible for over a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions. Food that’s lost or wasted alone accounts for around six per cent of the world’s carbon footprint. It might be simple for individuals to make more careful choices in terms of food consumption, but for larger institutions, it can be tricky to measure waste levels. And without that information, it’s hard to know when and where to make improvements. Artificial intelligence (AI) could make this easier. 

South Korean company Nuvilab has created an AI-powered scanning system that makes measuring and reporting food waste in a variety of contexts and situations easier and much more accurate. From the gathered data, Nuvilab’s system provides organisations with customised solutions for improvement.  

The company provides scanners for individual food trays, food on conveyor belts, and bins, which are available to a range of organisations, including schools and daycare centres, long-term care facilities, military bases, hospitals, sports venues, airlines, and retail brands. 

The combined 2D colour and 3D depth scanners identify types and volumes of food and rapidly calculate what has been eaten or wasted. The scanning system is contactless and does not require weight measurements, which helps to greatly speed up the overall analysis. After scanning, data is added to a custom dashboard in real time, allowing dietary managers, buyers, inventory managers, and carbon emissions leaders to quickly see how each site is performing. And, if a particular meal or food type is seen to be frequently thrown away, menus can be altered to cut waste and save money.

The system is available as a subscription service, and Nuvilab works closely with each partner organisation to design and build an arrangement that best suits the layout and processes of a particular location and its operations.  

Other innovations spotted in Springwise’s library that are helping to reduce food waste include solar-powered freezers for fishers and aquafaba being used as an egg alternative.

Written By: Keely Khoury