The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council today held an open meeting to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety. ‘AI in Food Safety: Innovation, Risks, and Opportunities’ brought together leading experts to explore the potential of AI and its real-world applications in reshaping the future of food safety systems.
Over 220 people registered for the event, which took place at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, with a lineup of Irish and international speakers from the FSAI and representatives from UCD, Kerry Foods, Teagasc, TOMRA, Creme Global, and The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
Chaired by Ms Suzanne Campbell, Author and Journalist, the event also offered insights into the practical applications of AI technologies, including machine learning, predictive modelling, and machine vision, highlighting their potential to revolutionise food safety systems. Discussions also addressed the challenges and risks associated with AI implementation, underscoring the necessity for robust regulatory frameworks and ongoing research.
Dr Pamela Byrne, (Chief Executive, FSAI), highlighted that while AI offers incredible opportunities for enhancing food safety, it also comes with potential risks. “Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can enhance our food safety systems in ways we have never seen before. From ensuring traceability in the food supply chain to creating predictive models for disease outbreaks and implementing machine vision systems for quality control, AI is already becoming embedded in the day-to-day operations of the agri-food sector.”
“As we stand at the intersection of innovation and responsibility, we must be mindful of both the tremendous opportunities and the inherent risks associated with these technological advances. We must ask critical questions: How can we leverage AI to enhance food safety while safeguarding public trust? What steps must we take to ensure that AI technologies are applied responsibly, in line with legislation and best practice, and that the reliance on emerging technologies does not compromise food safety standards? The FSAI remains committed to embracing technology while upholding the highest standards of food safety and consumer protection,” said Dr Byrne.
Contributions on the day included Dr Brian McNamee(Associate Professor, School of Computer Science, University College Dublin); Dr Marc Wagner(Data Analytics and AI Lead, Kerry Foods); Dr Geraldine Duffy(Research Officer, Teagasc); Dr Brendan Byrne(Technology Manager, Artificial Intelligence, TOMRA); William O’Sullivan(Head of Data Science, Creme Global); Elske van der Vaart(Data Scientist, Nederlandse Voedsel-en-Warenautoriteit [The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority]); Gail Carroll(Director of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Building, Food Safety Authority of Ireland); and Cormac McElhinney(Acting Manager Data Centric Project, Food Safety Authority of Ireland).
Note: The Food Safety Consultative Council (FSCC) acts as a forum for debate on food safety issues and provides advice to the FSAI Board on areas of relevance. Food Safety Consultative Council
Just last month, Marmoris Limited, trading as Killough Solar, lodged a planning application with Tipperary Co. Council following the purchase of Killough Castle, Killough, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and its accompanying 527 acres of land of by Mr John Magnier’s Coolmore Stud Farm, last year.
Marmoris in their planning application, are seeking a ten-year planning permission for 745,168 square metres of solar panels in the town lands of Killough, Clohoge and Graigue in Co. Tipperary.
Some 30 submissions have since been lodged with the council, condemning the planning application on the grounds of:-
Scale of the development would result in a major visual intrusion.
Present road infrastructure totally unsuitable.
Loss of value to existing homes.
Proposed development could potentially prevent others from getting planning permission for future domestic dwellings.
Golden Vale area traditionally used for food output and brownfield sites with good roads and waste infrastructures should be considered as an alternative.
The planning consultants for the scheme, Fehily Timoney, confirm that the project is led by Coolmore Stud and is designed to complement Coolmore’s environmental and sustainability initiatives, while benefiting the local community and contributing to Ireland’s renewable energy targets.
Locals are asking questions as to why was this recently purchased Killough Castle farm selected over and above the other almost 11,000 acres of land in the ownership of Coolmore Stud?
The Killough solar farm set 6.5km south of Thurles would according to the planning application, create 80 to 100 jobs, during its anticipated 18-month construction period.
A decision is expected on this planning application by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, as we reported on January 30th, 2025, Major opposition, grave concerns and extreme anger has irrupted, due to a planning application for a wind-farm & battery farm on the northern outskirts of Thurles town, in the townlands of Brittas, Rossestown, Ballygammane and Clobanna. The planning application seeks permission for 10 to 12X 185m(1542ft) high turbines, together with an accompanying battery farm, latter to store generated electricity, same to be occasioned by this proposed project. View Here.
Ms Deborah Kilbride(AIB Financial Crime Prevention team) posts reminder to customers this Christmas.
As we head into the festive season and 2024 draws to a close, we are urging customers to remain vigilant against fraud as it can affect any of us at any time. Criminal activity continues even during the festive season. We want to alert you to common scams that have been prevalent this year. We all lead busy lives, and it just takes a second to get caught off guard and fall for a scam. Here is some information and ways to avoid being scammed.
Text message fraud.
Fraudulent text messages claiming to be from reputable banks, delivery or utility companies and government departments are common. Take a moment and ask yourself does this seem legitimate? Don’t click the link in the text message or share your personal or financial information. Often these messages are followed by a phone call claiming to be us, sometimes even using our actual phone number. End the call immediately. We will never call you and request security codes sent by text message, push messages or from your card reader. We will never send a taxi or courier to collect your physical card, PIN or any security details.
Phone call fraud.
Fraudsters often use phone calls to get your personal and financial information for their own financial gain. They may pretend to be from a legitimate company and may even display a genuine phone number. Common tricks used on these calls is to offer to fix an issue with your broadband or offer a refund. They may try to take control of your device. Never download software or apps, that they suggest, onto your computer or mobile phone as this will allow fraudsters access to your information. End any unexpected calls. Call the company back on a known and trusted number to verify the call.
Investment fraud.
Investment frauds and scams are on the rise, with criminals using social media to advertise highly profitable investments. These ads often use advanced technology to appear legitimate. Always ask yourself, is this too good to be true? Such high return investments are usually not genuine. Before investing your money take some time to research the provider, verify their existence and that they are regulated and always seek independent financial advice.
Purchase scams.
Online shopping is convenient and popular, especially at Christmas time, but criminals can clone genuine websites to offer fake discounts to target unsuspecting customers. This can happen with any site, including clothing, homewares, or heavy goods vehicles such as diggers, campervans and boats. These cloned sites often look and feel genuine. When shopping online, check for a padlock symbol in the address bar, research the site for negative reviews, and verify contact details. Avoid direct bank transfers. Ask yourself, is this price too good to be true?
Money mules
Being a money mule is a criminal offence. Criminals use others’ accounts to transfer stolen money to conceal their crime. They can trick anyone into using their accounts. Without access to your account, criminals will not be successful. They may approach you online, in person, on social media or through fake job adverts asking to move money through your accounts or to open a bank account in your name for them. They may even offer you some money as payment. This use of your account, even if you don’t know where the money has come from or is going to, means you are becoming a money mule. This may result in your bank account being closed or a criminal conviction for money laundering. Parents should also be aware that teenagers and young adults are often targeted by criminals, with the promise of quick cash so sharing this information with family members can also be helpful.
For more information on the latest frauds and scams visit the security centre on the AIB website.
A new contract for Automated Border Control “eGates” services, for passport control in Dublin Airport, has been announced, which will see the upgrading of the existing eGates.
Automated Border Control eGates provide highly secure automated passport validation and security checks on passengers for passport holders from the EU/EEA, Switzerland and the UK, who are over 18 years of age; same being a “self-service” type channel to clear immigration control.
Last year, over 4 million passengers arriving at Dublin Airport, and were processed by the eGates operated by the Department’s Border Management Unit. Securing this contract means that Dublin Airport staff can continue to process, Irish, EU and other eligible travellers, as swiftly as possible, while conducting stringent security checks on passengers and their documents.
We are informed that utilising new technology, such as Automated Border Control eGates, is paramount to delivering a secure, effective, and modern Immigration Service.
“Where Tipperary Leads, Ireland Follows“. Quote by Thomas Davis, editor of ‘The Nation Newspaper’ in the 1840’s.
A Tipperary company has not only developed but has also patented a new process to transform old plastic into sustainable aviation fuel and wax.
The company known as Trifol Resources are presently operating two large recycling machines, since June of this year, at Tipperary’s former Bord Na Móna briquette factory, same situated close to the village of Littleton, Thurles, in Co. Tipperary.
Co. Tipperary’s former Bord Na Móna Briquette Factory, at Littleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Already, two major international oil companies have contracted with Trifol Resources to purchase all of the sustainable aviation fuel that the Littleton plant can provide.
Both product produced is observed as a massive achievement especially since this former Bord Na Móna briquette factory, for decades was synonymous with the production of harmful fossil fuels, and now will become a central location for the production of carbon neutral sustainable fuel.
The key to what Trifol is doing at the Littleton plant is a process called ‘pyrolysis’(latter the heating of an organic material, in the absence of oxygen), which involves a machine that decomposes the waste plastic by heating it at enormous temperatures, in the absence of oxygen or naked flame, until it becomes a gas. This gas is then put through processes that cool it down at different rates of temperature, which in turn determines the required end product, which could be wax or very high-quality diesel or sustainable aviation fuel, or Naphta; latter product which is a very low octane form of petrol.
Trifol Resources claim that their Littleton plant will require up to 75% of all the plastic waste in Ireland that is not currently being collected. The waste plastic being recycled presently at the Littleton plant is mostly different types of polyethylene including farm plastic used in the covering of hay or silage.
To date Trifol has invested some €15.5 million in its Littleton plant. This investment includes €4.5m in grants from the EU and the Irish Climate Fund. This investment has provided the current supporting plant and equipment to enable the conversion of some 4000 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
A further €5m is expected to be invested on upgrading production to 12,000 tonnes, next year; while in 2026 and 2027 the plant plans to install a further 12 large recycling machines at a cost of some €90m, requiring up to 90,000 tonnes of waste plastic each year.
Generated Plastic Statistics: It is worthy of note that globally only about 9% of produced plastic is currently being recycled. Some 40% of Europe’s plastic waste is incinerated, while 25% gets dumped into our landfill. Only 16% of Europe’s plastic waste is collected for recycling, with 19% remains unaccounted for. Every year about 450 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide. While it is clean, easy to use, sterile and versatile; the product remains the cause of enormous pollution problems and at 58kg per capita, Ireland generates more plastic packaging waste, per person, than any other country within the EU.
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