Food recognition AI: Optimizing the food shopping experience

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• February 10, 2022

Insight summary

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the grocery business by classifying food types and assessing freshness, a development accelerated by recent market conditions. This technology, which uses smart cameras and visual identification algorithms, can identify a wide range of fruits and vegetables with high accuracy, and even assist visually impaired individuals in distinguishing food products. The benefits extend beyond the consumer, as AI can streamline inventory management for retailers, provide personalized dietary recommendations, and support public health and sustainability initiatives.

Food recognition AI context

The need to classify different types of food and determine their freshness has always existed in the grocery business. New market conditions spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic have sped up the development and use of deep learning-based AI systems that satisfy these day-to-day grocery store operating activities. 

Fruits and vegetables typically have a short shelf life, and most consumers want to identify the freshest food products prior to purchase. Accordingly, supermarkets have started to stretch the use of AI to quickly identify food and determine its freshness. The technology works by placing specifically developed smart cameras on product counters to take pictures and automatically identify the products placed before them. In a 2019 test conducted in Belgium by Colruyt, a supermarket chain, AI engineers developed AI model that was able to identify 120 types of fruit and vegetables with an accuracy of up to 97 percent. 

Most food products are packaged in similar ways, with the product's unique identifier being the picture or writing on the package. Companies such as Google have also leveraged visual identification algorithms to develop food identification applications to help people with disabilities (particularly the visually impaired) identify and differentiate food products when shopping or in their homes. These applications use computer vision to identify a product's different elements and speech synthesis technology to translate them on behalf of a user with disabilities. 

Disruptive impact

Food recognition AI technology can offer a more efficient and personalized shopping experience. For instance, AI could provide dietary recommendations based on a person's health profile, allergies, or personal preferences. This feature could lead to healthier eating habits and improved overall health. Additionally, the technology could assist visually impaired individuals in identifying food items, enhancing their independence and quality of life.

The food retail sector stands to gain significantly from the implementation of food recognition AI. The technology can streamline inventory management, reducing the time and labor costs associated with manual stocktaking. Furthermore, by analyzing consumption trends, AI can help businesses forecast demand more accurately, leading to optimized stock levels and reduced food waste. Additionally, the technology can enhance customer service by enabling faster and more convenient checkout processes, improving the overall shopping experience.

At the governmental level, food recognition AI can play a crucial role in public health and environmental sustainability initiatives. Governments can use the technology to monitor food safety and quality in retail outlets, ensuring compliance with health regulations and standards. Moreover, by encouraging the adoption of AI technology in the food retail sector, governments can contribute to reducing food waste, a significant environmental issue. 

Implications of food recognition AI

Wider implications of food recognition AI may include:

• App developers developing ways to improve the features of food recognition technology deployed on mobile applications. 


• Machine learning experts researching and inventing more efficient ways to teach computers to identify different types of food products. 


• The eradication of barcodes as a means of identification and pricing. 


• Reduced rates of theft in grocery stores.


• Reduced food waste as foods that are visually spoiling or are marked to expire can be priced dynamically to accelerate sales.


• The widespread adoption of no-cashier grocery stores where customers can exit a store with selected grocery items automatically debited from their chequing accounts.


• Remote and automated shopping services that allow consumers to connect their smart refrigerators with grocery stores.

Questions to consider

• If you have ever had the chance to experience shopping using AI recognition software? How would you say it differs from a regular shopping experience?


• What do you like about the applications that have been developed for people with disabilities? What features are missing that would you add?