How AMBROSIA Connects Climate Data and Food Safety Decisions

Climate projections and food safety data become more useful when researchers can connect them. AMBROSIA is developing the models and digital tools to support that connection.

A climate projection describes possible future conditions. A food safety model examines how a hazard may behave and what that could mean for risk. Bringing these forms of knowledge together can help answer practical questions about the safety of food under a changing climate.

AMBROSIA is developing an approach that links climate information with models of food safety hazards. Its planned digital platform and dashboard are designed to make this combined evidence accessible to food producers, other food system stakeholders and policy actors.

Connecting information across disciplines

Climate and food safety datasets often describe different things at different scales. A climate dataset may represent temperature or rainfall over a geographical area. Food safety evidence may concern a particular microorganism, crop or storage environment.

Researchers need to establish how these datasets fit together before drawing useful conclusions. AMBROSIA’s work includes data standards and integration methods to connect information consistently and support the use of analytical models within its platform.

The role of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is part of AMBROSIA’s wider modelling approach. The project includes work on machine learning for investigating complex relationships and AI-based analysis of information sources that could help identify developments relevant to food safety risks.

The usefulness of these methods depends on the quality of the data and the questions they are designed to address. Model evaluation is therefore an essential part of the research. AMBROSIA’s approach includes assessing model performance and examining uncertainty so that results can be interpreted in context.

Helping users explore possible responses

The project’s dashboard is being designed to present information relevant to different users and regions. Scenario exploration can help users consider how food safety risks may change under different climate conditions and how potential adaptations could affect those risks.

For example, the research includes examining possible changes in agricultural practices, food processing and supply chain management. Comparing such options through models can provide evidence to inform decisions and identify questions that require further investigation.

AMBROSIA’s goal is to make the connection between climate science and food safety more useful in practice. Follow the project’s research and development updates to see how this approach progresses.