The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) has introduced a technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the authenticity of herbal medicines. This system is intended to enhance the accuracy and reliability of sensory testing methods used in evaluations.
On June 25, the KFDA's Food and Drug Safety Evaluation Institute announced the establishment of an explainable AI (XAI) sensory testing system, which objectively assesses the authenticity of herbal medicines. This system has been implemented as a supplementary technology for sensory testing, which evaluates the characteristics of food or substances using sight, smell, taste, and touch.
The explainable AI sensory testing system learns the characteristics of herbal medicines, such as form, color, and texture, to determine their authenticity. The KFDA has been developing this model since 2023 and has completed the model for 297 items, including licorice. This advancement is expected to improve the accuracy and reliability of herbal medicine identification.
The KFDA plans to expand the AI model to cover all herbal medicine items listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia by 2027 and to enhance the system further.
Dr. Kim Ho-yeon from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), who oversaw the technology development, stated, "Herbal medicines have diverse origins and instances of adulteration, making accurate identification crucial. AI technology will contribute to increasing the reliability of test results."
Looking ahead, the KFDA aims to continuously utilize digital technologies, including AI and big data, in the quality management of herbal medicines.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.