Science Shorts: AI food imports screening, Nestle NAD+ precursor study, seafood sector digitalisation and more feature in our round-up

Elevating efficiency: South Korea expands AI-based food imports screening to cover processed foods​

South Korea is expanding its AI-based screening system SAFE-i24 to include processed food imports, in a bid to maintain food safety and quality while maximising efficiency particularly during peak seasons.

The East Asian market has long faced issues with high customs congestion particularly during peak trade seasons such as Lunar New Year, Chuseok or Kimchi season as well as for specific seasonal items such as red sea bream.

In a bid to reduce congestion, the local Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) introduced the use of a screening system based on Artificial Intelligence (AI)​ in 2023 starting with the screening of food additives as well as agricultural, livestock and marine products in the later part of the year.

Sarcopenic patients have low levels of NAD+ precursor trigonelline – Nestle-funded study​

Trigonelline, an alkaloid found in plants and animals, is found to be closely linked to muscle health, with low serum levels reported in seniors suffering from sarcopenia, new findings from a Nestle-funded study have shown.

The research, published in Nature Metabolism, ​also found that trigonelline is a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and nicotinamide riboside (NR) are some of the other well-known precursors of NAD+ and are increasingly consumed as supplements to increase NAD+ levels.

Digi at scale: Why digitalisation is needed across seafood sector beyond aquaculture - experts​

Digitalisation in seafood needs to be implemented consistently across the entire supply chain, and not just aquaculture, in order to avoid the risks of lopsided growth and diminished efficiency, according to industry experts.

According to seafood sector digitalisation specialist firm ThisFish, at present the average age of digital technologies being used in seafood processors and distributors is estimated at 26 years.

This compares to an average of eight years in the aquaculture’s sector, which has been more adept at adopting newer technology such as artificial intelligence.

“There is a very significant difference in the rate of technological change as well as the types of technologies being adopted to improve efficiencies across the seafood supply chain, which has impacts on the overall efficiencies,”​ ThisFish CEO Enno Tamm said.

NMN quality in question: Singapore researchers call for industry effort in meeting label claims​

The testing of 18 commercially available NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) supplements sold in Singapore found that most products did not meet label claims, and researchers have called for industry-wide effort in resolving the issue.

Three out of the 18 products tested were found to contain no NMN. These three products were a tablet and two capsule NMN products.  

Six of them were detected to contain NMN that were 20% to 100% lower than what was claimed. Another six of them contained NMN that were between zero to 20% lower than the amount claimed.

Gin ‘fingerprinting’ could help futureproof the category​

A new technique that takes a chemical fingerprint of gin in seconds could hold 'huge potential' for the industry: allowing producers to create better and more consistent gins; enable regulators to detect fraudulent products; and even help create a stronger definition of what a gin is.

As in whisky and other spirits, chemical compounds in gin impact the flavor and mouthfeel.

Researchers from two Scottish universities (Heriot-Watt University and The University of Edinburgh) have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy – a technique more commonly used in the structural determination of molecules - to examine gin and identify its 'fingerprint' characteristics.