Are You AI-Ready? A Framework for Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Applications in Food Safety Programs

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies presents significant opportunities for enhancing food safety programs. Successful implementation requires careful assessment of both technological capabilities and organizational readiness. The Food Systems Assessment Framework for Evaluating AI (FoodSAFE-AI) is a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate organizational preparedness for implementing AI automation in food safety applications. The framework assesses readiness across three business areas: (1) organizational buy-in and business problem definition, (2) information technology infrastructure and data management capabilities, and (3) food safety program maturity and agility. It evaluates these areas against four stages of automation: information acquisition, information analysis, decision selection, and action implementation. The framework was implemented as a freely available Excel-based tool containing 32 assessment statements scored on a 4-point scale. Three case studies demonstrate the framework's application, showcasing AI solutions for automated sampling and interventions, automated record review, and supply chain optimization through horizon scanning. Results indicate that organizations must achieve high maturity across all three business areas to successfully implement each progressive stage of automation. FoodSAFE-AI equips food safety professionals to drive collaboration on designing smarter food safety programs that both incorporate AI and align with their organizational capabilities and business objectives.