Exploring Recipe Nutrition and Sustainability with AI

What is it about?

oday, big societal challenges, like climate change and health issues, are often analyzed using data. Food, which is a universal part of life and deeply connected to different cultures and times, is directly related to many global problems such as nutrition and sustainability. For example, food production is responsible for about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and poor diets are leading to rising healthcare costs. Over 60% of adults in the UK and the US are overweight or obese. Food also plays a big role in many countries' economies and cultural heritage. Studying food and recipes can help us tackle these challenges, especially as we need to shift towards more plant-based diets for better health and sustainability. However, making information about food easily accessible is difficult. Analyzing recipes, particularly digital ones, is a new area of research that covers topics like nutrition, health, shopping, and even allergen detection. There are several challenges in this field, especially when it comes to linking food information with data on environmental impact, which is complex and time-consuming without advanced tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP). Recently, these technologies have begun to be used to combine recipes and food information with other relevant data, but this work is still in the early stages. The article advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to studying nutrition and sustainability. It outlines the challenges and opportunities of using AI to analyze recipes and food data. The authors discuss how collecting and integrating food-related data can be improved, review current AI methods used in this area, and suggest how these techniques can be used to engage stakeholders and predict future applications, such as new types of recommendation systems that encourage healthier and more sustainable eating habits.

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Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our research is original in several aspects. (1) Interdisciplinary Integration: It combines insights and methodologies from various fields such as nutrition, sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), computational linguistics, and computational gastronomy. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the food system and its impacts. (2) Focus on Recipes as Data: Analyzing recipes as a data source is relatively new. Recipes provide detailed information on ingredients, cooking methods, and cultural practices, offering a rich dataset for studying dietary patterns, nutritional content, and cultural food practices. (3) Use of Advanced Technologies: The research leverages cutting-edge AI and NLP techniques to process and analyze large amounts of food-related data. These technologies enable the extraction of meaningful patterns and insights that were previously difficult or impossible to obtain. (4) Linking Diverse Data Sources: It aims to integrate various types of data, including environmental impact databases, nutritional information, economic data, and food terminology. This holistic view helps in understanding the complex interconnections within the food system. (5) Focus on Sustainability: While there is substantial research on nutrition and health, this study uniquely emphasizes the links between food and sustainability. It explores how dietary changes can contribute to environmental goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable agriculture. (6) Practical Applications: The research doesn't just focus on theoretical insights but also considers practical applications, such as developing recommender systems that encourage sustainable and healthy eating habits. This focus on real-world impact makes the research particularly relevant and actionable. (7) Emerging Field: The analysis of digitized and digital recipes is a relatively new and developing field. This research contributes to the foundation of this emerging area, paving the way for future studies and innovations. (8) Addressing Current Needs: The study is timely, addressing urgent global challenges like climate change, public health crises, and the need for sustainable development. Its relevance to current societal issues adds to its uniqueness and importance.

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