A Review of Machine Learning and AI Applications in Enhancing HACCP Systems for Ice Cream Manufacturing

Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems provide a preventive framework for food safety by implementing quality assurance plans, continuous monitoring, corrective actions, and risk mitigation strategies at critical control points throughout food processing, including dairy products such as ice cream. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming food safety management by enabling real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated decision-making within food processing systems. This review critically examines the integration of AI technologies into HACCP systems for ice cream manufacturing, with an emphasis on improving hazard detection, process control, traceability, and the efficiency of corrective actions. The review evaluates the application of Internet of Things sensors, computer vision, and machine learning-based predictive monitoring systems across critical processing stages, including raw material reception, pasteurization, continuous freezing, and hardening/storage. Compared to conventional HACCP systems, AI-assisted technologies offer greater capabilities for anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, automated verification, and data-driven risk management. Nevertheless, their industrial implementation remains constrained by data quality limitations, infrastructure cost, cybersecurity risks, regulatory uncertainty, and limited model explainability. Accordingly, this review highlights key research gaps related to industrial scalability, validation under dynamic processing conditions, and the scarcity of ice cream-specific AI datasets. Finally, the review identifies future research directions and emerging opportunities for applying AI technologies in food processing and quality control systems, providing a framework for the evolution of intelligent HACCP systems in frozen dairy manufacturing.