Regulatory Cross Cutting with Artificial Intelligence and Imported Seafood

Since 2019 the FDA's crosscutting work has implemented artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the its New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative. This new application of available data sources can strengthen the agency's public health mission with the goal using AI to improve capabilities to quickly and efficiently identify products that may pose a threat to public health by impeding their entry into the U.S. market. On February 8 the FDA reported the initiation of their succeeding phase for AI activity with the Imported Seafood Pilot program. Running from February 1 through July 31, 2021, the pilot will allow FDA to study and evaluate the utility of AI in support of import targeting, ultimately assisting with the implementation of an AI model to target high-risk seafood products--a critical strategy, as the United States imports nearly 94% of its seafood, according to the FDA. Where in the past, reliance on human intervention and/or trend analysis drove scrutiny of seafood shipments such as field exams, label exams or laboratory analysis of samples, with the use of AI technologies, FDA surveillance and regulatory efforts might be improved.