General Episode Z-AGRIFOOD: Artificial intelligence to track leftovers on individual plates in residential care homes

Our food production can be more efficient and sustainable, amon others through the use of artificial intelligence and robotics. Based on this conviction, Flanders and Europe are investing in a Test and Experiment Facility (AgrifoodTEF) at ILVO. This is an environment that helps Flemish companies bring smart digital solutions to market faster. The AgrifoodTEF at ILVO was launched on June 7th 2023.

To mark the occasion, ILVO, in collaboration with Kanaal Z and Trends.be, is bringing the operation and services of the AgrifoodTEF into extensive focus. Under the name Z-Agrifood, 10 episodes of 4-5 minutes each on AI and robotics will be compiled in 2023. Three episodes will be available in early June; seven episodes will be broadcast in autumn 2023.

The second episode of Z-Agrifood is about monitoring leftovers on the plates in residential care using artificial intelligence (AI). ILVO uses image analysis and AI to train an algorithm to recognise what and how much food remains on a (photo of a) plate. This gives residential care centres the chance to systematically detect the risk of malnutrition in their residents, but also has potential for schools, hospitals and companies to start curbing malnutrition and food losses in a very targeted way. The application is available as a service at ILVO's Test and Experiment Facility, with the support of Europe and Flanders.