Food Research Institute

Sari, K. – Rifai, B. – Haji, R. – Mychelisda, E. – Edi, R. Y. – Nuhgroho, J.
A global perspective on artificial intelligence applications and barriers in food safety: A systematic review (2018–2025)
Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 65, 2026, No. 2, s. 97-107

Karlina Sari, Research Centre for Macroeconomics and Finance, National Research and Innovation Agency, Gatot Subroto Street Kav. 10, 12710 Jakarta, Indonesia. E-mail: karlina.sari@brin.go.id

Review article
Received 7 June 2025; 1st revised 16 February 2026; 2nd revised 3 March 2026; accepted 9 April 2026; published online 15 April 2026.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64122/QSNC8599

Summary: Food safety remains a global priority, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate risks across the food supply chain has expanded rapidly. However, much of the existing literature treats AI adoption as a uniform process and pays limited attention to differences in macroeconomic contexts. This study provides a comparative analysis of AI adoption in food safety between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), focusing on application areas, key actors, and implementation challenges. A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Sixty-five empirical studies published between 2018 and 2025 were identified from Scopus (Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands), Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics, Philadelphia, USA), and Google Scholar (Google, Mountain View, California, USA). The findings show clear structural differences in AI utilisation. In HICs, AI strengthens mature food safety systems, supports regulatory compliance, and facilitates predictive risk management. In LMICs, AI is mainly applied to basic screening, operational risk control, and traceability, but adoption is constrained by limited data availability, weak digital infrastructure, and insufficient technical capacity. Overall, AI adoption reflects institutional maturity and systemic capacity rather than technological capability alone, highlighting the need for context-specific implementation strategies.

Keywords: food safety; artificial intelligence; systematic literature review; high-income countries; low-and middle-income countries; technology adoption; regulatory challenges

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