Every year, an estimated one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated food. That’s around 128,000 people.

But scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using artificial intelligence to create a system that will hopefully cut that number.

The system would potentially allow people to test foods and drinks for dangerous food-borne illnesses. 

According to the research team’s leader, the device is pre-programmed to detect specific contaminants in products like milk and alcohol. 

It reads signals from a wireless sticker on the food or beverage packaging and transmits the results to a phone app.

“We hope to be able to build a portable device that a person can take with them when they’re trying to buy something from a supermarket,” said Schneider Desouza.

MIT believes the technology could help people avoid safety hazards such as tainted alcohol which either kills or blinds hundreds of people every year. 

The team also hopes the system will one day be able to detect sugar levels and calories as well, 

They say people could be using the technology within the next five years.