Intact and AFDO Announce Completion of Audit Data Pilot in Support of FDA’s New Era of Food Safety
Feb 24, 2022In 2021, Intact and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) began aggregating and analyzing multi-state food safety inspection data using AI-based data analytics.
Multi-State Food Safety Study
The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and Intact completed a study to determine the feasibility of aggregating and assessing multi-state food safety and inspection data. The pilot project is part of AFDO’s ongoing contribution to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative.
New Insights
Currently, U.S. state-level food safety inspections are performed by separate agencies using varied formats and technologies. The system lacks real-time, cross-state data analysis necessary to identify trends, behaviors, and areas of deviation or concern.
Leveraging the FDA New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative, AFDO and Intact embarked on a pilot project using Intact Analytics to make recommendations to overcome these challenges. The project identified opportunities to align varied inspection regimes, deliver new insights, and map a pathway towards interstate food safety inspection data analysis. AFDO is continuing this work today. The project was funded by the FDA as part of a cooperative agreement awarded to AFDO.
Using the power of Intact Analytics’ data experts and artificial intelligence (AI), the multi-stakeholder process reviewed thousands of food safety inspections from four states in a variety of formats and systems. The machine learning algorithms analyzed the inspections to identify anomalies, trends, patterns, and potential areas of improvement. The project outlined a pathway for expanding effective inspectional components to additional states.
Partnership Voices
Intact and AFDO collaborated on this project. Read their take on the collaboration below:
“It was great to see the impact new technologies like artificial intelligence can have on the state-based food safety inspection sector. We were able to analyze large amounts of data and derive actionable results. Our work with Intact was a step into the future, and I believe this illustrates that AI will have immensely positive effects on our industry in the upcoming years.”
“We are incredibly proud of our achievements with AFDO. It is rewarding to contribute in such a meaningful way to the safety of US consumers. Using Intact Analytics on this scale is a huge step forward for us, and I want to thank all parties involved for the success of the project.”
About Intact
Intact is the market leader in audit, certification, and standard management with its two flagship products, the Intact Platform and Intact Analytics. Their solutions help customers worldwide boost their efficiency and profitability while assuring the highest possible safety and quality of products, services, and qualifications. Founded in 2001 in Austria, Intact develops software solutions that guarantee quality assurance in the food industry. Today, Intact has seven global offices and sales partners in Austria, the USA, Switzerland, the UK, Germany, and Australia and is used across management, food, and other certification sectors.
About AFDO
AFDO promotes the uniform adoption and enforcement of food, drug, medical products, cosmetics and product safety laws, rules, and regulations. Founded in 1896, AFDO is an international, non-profit professional organization consisting of state, federal, and local regulatory officials as members. AFDO is a mechanism for advancing regulatory program standards that help advance a national integrated food safety system. The organization also provides training, continuing education, and networking opportunities that foster understanding and collaboration among all members and an appreciation for each role in the food and medical device safety system.