{"title":"Advances in Hyperspectral Imaging for Spoilage Detection in Meat and Poultry: A Non-Invasive Approach","authors":"Zincia Sherin , Omar Bashir , Imdadul Hoque Mondal , Prashant Anil Pawase","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Meat and poultry are among the most highly perishable food commodities, and their rapid deterioration presents significant challenges to food safety, quality assurance, and economic sustainability. Conventional spoilage detection methods, including microbiological and chemical assays, remain reliable; however, they are often destructive, time-consuming, and unsuitable for real-time monitoring applications.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has become a prospective non-invasive technology that could be used in the simultaneous spatial and spectral data collection of the meat surface, offering in-depth information on chemical and microbial transformations. The present review is based on the current use of HSI in the process of monitoring microbial activity, identifying chemical indicators, including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), and pH changes, and measuring visible changes in colour and texture. Special attention is given to the combination of HSI and chemometric methods and state-of-the-art machine learning models, such as principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), long short-term memory networks (LSTMs), and autoencoders.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusion</h3><div>HSI has proven to be very accurate in the early detection of spoilage, in most instances better than conventional means. New innovations, including creation of portable HSI units, artificial intelligence, and multimedia systems that combine HSI and other sensors or internet of things, have expanded its application potential. Nevertheless, there are still notable issues, such as managing massive amounts of data, high prices of equipment, and the lack of uniform protocols to implement in industries. Future studies must aim at minimizing the size of the devices, creation of strong calibration systems, and the ease of incorporation into smart food devices. Together, these developments make HSI a future-proof, non-destructive, and dependable technology to assess the quality and safety of modern meat. This review further demonstrates that hybrid VIS-NIR-SWIR configurations combined with interpretable chemometric and machine-learning models consistently outperform single-range systems, while the lack of standardized validation and regulatory frameworks remains the primary barrier to large-scale industrial adoption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105558"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinya Mo , Wen Zhu , Shutong Zhang , Zhuoning Cao , Qiang Zhao , Hao Dong , Hong Jiang , Jianan Sun , Sai Wang , Xiangzhao Mao
{"title":"Engineered biosensor-driven food biomanufacturing: Intelligent multi-scale systems for nutrient synthesis monitoring and quality control","authors":"Xinya Mo , Wen Zhu , Shutong Zhang , Zhuoning Cao , Qiang Zhao , Hao Dong , Hong Jiang , Jianan Sun , Sai Wang , Xiangzhao Mao","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Food biomanufacturing represents a transformative solution addressing both global nutrition and sustainability challenges through synthetic biology techniques. Engineered biosensors have emerged as pivotal tools enabling intelligent and multi-scale process monitoring and quality control in this domain.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review highlights recent biosensor innovations in food synthetic biology, covering rational design, technological advances, and real-world implementation frameworks. Fundamental investigation was conducted in the Web of Science database covering nearly five years, employing keywords including “nutrients”, “food”, “biosensors” and “biosynthesis”. Subsequently, a screening process was applied to the retrieved results, with the objective of identifying studies concerning food substances.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Existing biosensors leverage three core transduction mechanisms, i.e., cell-growth-coupled, optical and electrochemical, facilitating production of over 40 critical nutrients (e.g., amino acids, sugars, and phospholipids), via accelerating high-throughput strain and enzyme optimization, dynamic regulation of biosynthetic pathways, and sensitive quantitation of target nutrients. The biosensors assist to yield over 27 optimized strains/enzymes, with dynamic control boosting production up as high as <em>27-fold</em> and limit of detection reaching as low as 44.46 pmol/L. Future food biomanufacturing will integrate AI-optimized, multiplexing, smart biosensors, and cross-species platforms to redefine the precision and sustainability benchmarks of next-generation food biomanufacturing ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105552"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaowei He , Xiaoran Hu , Kemin Mao , Jinwei Zhang , Jie Gao , Bimal Chitrakar , Honghong Cheng , Yaxin Sang
{"title":"Machine learning-driven microbial community synthesis: A new paradigm for intelligent upgrading of food fermentation","authors":"Xiaowei He , Xiaoran Hu , Kemin Mao , Jinwei Zhang , Jie Gao , Bimal Chitrakar , Honghong Cheng , Yaxin Sang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Microbial metabolic activities are the central driving force behind fermented food production. However, these dynamic processes are influenced by factors such as substrate types, environmental conditions, and interspecies interactions within microbial communities. Challenges in the fermented food industry, including low production efficiency, unstable product quality, and significant product homogeneity in terms of functional and sensory profiles, highlight the need for innovative solutions.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>The integration of machine learning (ML) algorithms, guided by data features, with synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) offers a promising path forward. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategies and limitations of SynComs, explores ML methods suitable for microbial community data, and proposes a ML-assisted pipeline for synthetic microbial community assembly, termed the Machine Learning-Assisted Synthetic Microbial Community (ML-ASM).</div></div><div><h3>Key findings</h3><div>Integration of ML with SynComs provides a viable solution to enhance fermentation efficiency and product stability. Advancing SynComs-ML integration, implementing data-driven approaches, and promoting cross-disciplinary innovation are crucial steps. This strategic alignment with circular bioeconomy principles will drive the systematic, intelligent transformation of fermented food production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105569"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jie Zhang , Yufeng Li , Xuemei Zhao , Yongfu Chen , Musu Zha
{"title":"Chinese traditional fermented dairy products: Microbial ecology, quality enhancement, and probiotic potential","authors":"Jie Zhang , Yufeng Li , Xuemei Zhao , Yongfu Chen , Musu Zha","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Chinese traditional fermented dairy products (CTFDPs) are representative foods of nomadic cultures in China, primarily including naturally fermented milk, sour cream, and cheese. These products are distinguished by their unique flavor and high nutritional value. Microorganisms are integral to the production of fermented foods, influencing their quality, safety, and nutritional profiles. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of CTFDP-associated microbial communities is critical for identifying strains with significant potential for food and health-related applications. Furthermore, studying these geographically diverse natural fermentation ecosystems provides a model for exploring the general laws governing the assembly, stability, and function of microbial communities in food systems, which is of great significance for the preservation and optimization of traditional fermented foods.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review consolidates recent advances in the understanding of CTFDPs, focusing on traditional processing methods, microbial community composition, and the functional characteristics of prominent microbial strains isolated from these products. By combining modern sequencing technology with traditional pure culture techniques for the analysis of microbial communities, we can better analyze complex food microbiomes and selectively isolate functional strains.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>CTFDPs are primarily produced in the pastoral regions of northern China, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the southwestern regions. The production methods are highly localized, but all CTFDPs rely on spontaneous fermentation without the use of commercial starter cultures. Consequently, the flavor and nutritional profiles of each product are heavily influenced by indigenous microbiota. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria were <em>Lactococcus</em>, <em>Lactobacillus</em>, and <em>Streptococcus</em>, whereas the fungi included <em>Kluyveromyces</em> and <em>Pichia</em>. In low-to-mid-altitude regions, <em>Lactococcus lactis</em> tends to predominate, whereas at higher altitudes, more acid-tolerant species such as <em>Lactobacillus helveticus</em> and <em>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</em> are dominant. These microorganisms influence the characteristics of CTFDPs through their metabolic activities and synergistic interactions. Researchers have begun combining traditional culturing techniques with modern high-throughput sequencing to characterize CTFDPs microbiomes and identify strains with desirable traits. These efforts aim to develop proprietary starter cultures and promote the broader development of CTFDPs in the future. In addition, we hope to provide a replicable blueprint for the modernization of traditional fermented foods and the development of resources worldwide through research strategies, such as strain screening and strain function mining in CTFDPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105567"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Burton , S.P. Borriello , P.J. Gregory , J. Healing , C. Nicholson , T.H. Oliver , S. Pearson , R. Smith , M. Tildesley , J. Wastling , J. O'Brien
{"title":"Identification of evidence gaps and future research needs in food safety","authors":"E. Burton , S.P. Borriello , P.J. Gregory , J. Healing , C. Nicholson , T.H. Oliver , S. Pearson , R. Smith , M. Tildesley , J. Wastling , J. O'Brien","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Establishing research priorities to support evidence-based regulatory goals requires cross disciplinary collective expert input. This paper reviews the application of expert elicitation to identify and prioritize research questions in food safety regulation, which approach offers regulators and research funders a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective method for assessing evidence gaps in an expanding scientific landscape. While similar methodologies have been applied in ecology and other fields, this is, to our knowledge, the first use in food safety research. Recommendations are provided to strengthen the process.</div><div>A facilitated workshop shortlisted 51 questions, grouped into 12 themes, from a long list of 262 submissions, which spanned broad topics, including understanding the origins of emerging hazards and their health impacts. Environmental and sustainability themes address unintended consequences of decarbonization, food waste reduction, and risks from recycled plastics and food byproducts. Dietary change raises questions on emerging allergens, nutritional adequacy of alternative proteins, low fibre intake, and microbiome-related health impacts. Technology-driven changes, such as new production systems, kitchen devices, and secondary food economies, intersect with these dietary shifts.</div><div>Scientific advances provide opportunities to improve understanding of the dietary exposome through better intake data. Exposure to dietary chemicals occurs alongside complex mixtures of other agents, requiring structured approaches to risk assessment. The evolving science of chemical mixtures and rapid innovation in food systems underscore the need for robust, prioritized research compatible with good regulatory practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105544"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinjie Shang , Shu Li , Shiyu Lin , Shihao Sun , Li Liang , Yuyu Zhang , Rui Yang
{"title":"Cottonseed protein as a sustainable alternative plant protein: Basic characteristics, recent advancements, applications and limitations","authors":"Xinjie Shang , Shu Li , Shiyu Lin , Shihao Sun , Li Liang , Yuyu Zhang , Rui Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>With the increasing global demand for protein, traditional animal protein cannot meet the current protein demand due to its limited availability and high cost. As the world's third largest protein feed material after soybean meal and rapeseed meal, cottonseed meal contains a large amount of cottonseed protein. As a plant protein, cottonseed protein not only has a high yield, but also has high nutritional value. It is an economical and environmentally friendly protein that can be used as an emerging alternative protein in the food industry.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>Although there are increasing reports on cottonseed protein as a substitute protein, there is still a lack of comprehensive discussion on its composition, activity, and applications. This article systematically reviews the composition, extraction, and function characteristics of cottonseed protein. The extensive applications in food sector and utilization limitations were introduced, providing a reference for the development of cottonseed protein in the future.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Cottonseed protein, as a resource utilization of by-products from cottonseed meal, has a crude protein content of ≥50%. Except for slightly lower levels of methionine, the content of other essential amino acids meets the standards recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Cottonseed protein not only shows various biological activities, but also has a wide range of applications in the food industry. This review aims to provide comprehensive understanding and practical guidance for the cottonseed protein in food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105531"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chen Chen , Yujian Zhang , Huijun Cui , Ke Wu , Ruonan Guo , Aili Jiang , Di Wu
{"title":"Aerogels in active packaging for food preservation: A comprehensive review of applications","authors":"Chen Chen , Yujian Zhang , Huijun Cui , Ke Wu , Ruonan Guo , Aili Jiang , Di Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The quality and safety of food can be compromised by various environmental factors during storage and transportation. Traditional packaging methods often fall short in effectively maintaining food quality and extending shelf-life. Active packaging, which incorporates functional materials to interact with the food or its environment, has emerged as a promising solution. Aerogel is an ideal materials for food active packaging due to its high pore structure and specific surface area, low density and thermal conductivity. This material can absorb excess moisture or gases and allow for controlled release of antibacterial or antioxidant components, thereby monitoring food freshness or extending its shelf-life.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review comprehensively summarizes the application of aerogel in food active packaging, including absorption pads, insulating packaging, freshness indicators, ethylene removers, and controlled-release active compounds. It also elaborated in detail on the impact of each application on food preservation, emphasizing their potential to enhance food quality, monitor food freshness and extend shelf-life. In addition, the challenges and possible solutions for further developing aerogel-based active packaging were also disscussed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Aerogel-based active packaging exhibits excellent performance in maintaining food quality, extending shelf-life, and monitoring food freshness. Further research is necessary to address several challenges, including high production costs, complex technology and potential safety concerns, to meet the requirements for industrial production of aerogel-based active packaging. This review provides a clear direction for future research and practical applications, and ultimately contribute to the development of more effective and sustainable food packaging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105549"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yan Ge , Qiao-Yi Ma , Shan-Yu Wang , Arun S. Mujumdar , Xiaojun Huang , Hong-Wei Xiao , Zi-Liang Liu , Shaoping Nie
{"title":"Recent advances of pretreatments and drying technologies in processing small berries: A comprehensive review","authors":"Yan Ge , Qiao-Yi Ma , Shan-Yu Wang , Arun S. Mujumdar , Xiaojun Huang , Hong-Wei Xiao , Zi-Liang Liu , Shaoping Nie","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Small berries are rich in bioactive compounds and possess high nutritional value, while the high perishability of fresh small berries severely limits their consumptions and utilizations. Drying is an effective preservation strategy that can extend the shelf life and enhance their added values. Notably, the cuticular wax layer of small berries impedes the moisture migration and thus results in serious degradation of bioactive compounds during drying.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review systematically describes the criteria of dried small berries and summarizes both conventional and emerging drying technologies, focusing on the dehydration principles, practical applications, and their respective limitations. A critical comparison of these drying techniques is conducted, particularly regarding their effects on the retention of bioactive compounds, physical structure, and sensory properties of dried small berries. In parallel, it analyzes the impact mechanism of various pretreatment techniques on optimizing the drying processes. The performance of various emerging drying technologies in processing small berries is further compared in commercial level. Finally, the optimal strategies for processing small berries are proposed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusion</h3><div>Appropriate pretreatments can disrupt the wax layer structure, enhance cell membrane permeability, and inactivate oxidative enzymes, thereby significantly improving drying efficiency and product quality. Emerging drying technologies combined with environmentally friendly pretreatment not only enables the production of high-quality dried small berries but also enhances the process sustainability through minimized water pollution, reduced carbon emissions, and efficient use of energy resources. However, how to balance the drying efficiency, product quality, and energy consumption during the processing of small berries remains a critical bottleneck. In the future, the integration of artificial intelligence for the real-time control and process optimization is identified as a promising pathway toward efficient, intelligent, and sustainable drying systems of small berries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105553"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinyue Li , Yongpo Mao , Yuhan Tian , Jiajing Qiao , Ruibo Zhao , Weipan Peng , Shuli Man , Zhixian Gao , Long Ma
{"title":"Guided and programmable nuclease-based biosensing in food safety, quality, and authenticity detection: A comparative analysis of recent developments","authors":"Xinyue Li , Yongpo Mao , Yuhan Tian , Jiajing Qiao , Ruibo Zhao , Weipan Peng , Shuli Man , Zhixian Gao , Long Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105522","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105522","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Food safety, quality, and authenticity are crucial to global public health and economic concerns. Traditional detection methods often suffer from being time-consuming, requiring extensive laboratory infrastructure, and being unsuitable for rapid, on-site screening, thus creating a significant unmet need. As such, there is a pressing demand for innovative recognition elements, as well as signal transduction and amplification modules to enable effective biosensing for food safety hazards. Recently, guided and programmable nucleases, such as CRISPR/Cas and Argonaute, have been repurposed for detecting food safety, quality, and authenticity issues, showing great potential as next-generation tools for food detection.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review offers a comparative analysis of the molecular mechanisms and unique characteristics of CRISPR/Cas and Argonaute systems. It highlights their application performance in detecting various foodborne hazards (such as bacteria, viruses, residues, toxins, and allergens), quality indicators (such as freshness and spoilage), and authenticity markers. Furthermore, the integration of these nucleases with advanced biosensors, nanotechnology, and other cutting-edge techniques is discussed. The review concludes by outlining the current challenges, proposed solutions, and future directions.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>The comparative analysis of CRISPR/Cas and Argonaute systems highlights their strong potential in addressing key challenges in food safety, quality, and authenticity detection. These challenges include interference from food matrices, insufficient sensitivity for low-abundance targets, and the lack of multiplexed, rapid, on-site detection platforms. Continued research and development are necessary to fully realize the capabilities of these systems and enable integrated solutions for comprehensive food monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105522"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valentina Parma , Joel D. Mainland , Liang-Dar Hwang , Richard J. Kedziora , Nicolas Pineau , Richard C. Gerkin , Masha Y. Niv
{"title":"FAIR chemosensory data: Unlocking AI for flavour, food and health","authors":"Valentina Parma , Joel D. Mainland , Liang-Dar Hwang , Richard J. Kedziora , Nicolas Pineau , Richard C. Gerkin , Masha Y. Niv","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite its profound relevance to food choice and consumption, nutrition, food safety and public health chemosensory science lags other scientific fields in data sharing, standardization and infrastructure. This gap has real consequences: lack of (shared) data, as well as fragmented datasets, prevent cumulative progress, hinder cross-organizational validation, and limit the development of predictive models that could revolutionize food and consumer science, personalized nutrition, clinical diagnostics and beyond. Groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs emerged in recent years through the combination of advancements in artificial intelligence algorithms and access to large-scale, high-quality and well-organized data. Without this foundation, the chemosensory field risks falling further behind, unable to leverage the transformative potential of AI that is revolutionizing protein structure prediction, drug-discovery, genomic interpretation, medical diagnostics, and other domains. In this commentary we highlight inspiring examples from other fields, acknowledge the state of the art in chemosensory data organization efforts, and outline steps towards the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles adoption in chemosensory science. Finally, we envision federated learning scenarios suitable for confidentiality-preserving collaboration with industry and extend an invitation to share raw data from already published academic studies via the “ChemoSensoryData” community in Zenodo.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105545"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}