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The role of artificial intelligence in dietetic practice: a narrative review of current evidence and practical applications.

Background: The global nutrition landscape is shifting from population-based advice towards hyper-personalised clinical care, driven by a 'data drown' from wearable sensors and digitised health records. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal assistive technology to navigate this compl...

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Published in:South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 67 - 74
Main Author: Piderit, Monique Cruz
Format: review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jun2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
      vid: 39
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1080/16070658.2026.2679826
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        atl: The role of artificial intelligence in dietetic practice: a narrative review of current evidence and practical applications.
      aug:
        au: Piderit, Monique Cruz
        affil: Private Practising Dietitian, Nutritional Solutions, Johannesburg, South Africa
      sug:
        subj:
          Artificial Intelligence
          Dietetics
          Professional Practice
          Decision Support Systems, Clinical
          Diagnosis, Computer Assisted
          Dietitians
          Machine Learning
          Deep Learning
          Natural Language Processing
          Malnutrition
          Sarcopenia
          Nutrition
          Nutritional Assessment
          Food Services
          Nutritional Support
          South Africa
          Access to Healthy Foods
          Health Services Accessibility
          Automation
          Population Surveillance
          Food Security
      ab: Background: The global nutrition landscape is shifting from population-based advice towards hyper-personalised clinical care, driven by a 'data drown' from wearable sensors and digitised health records. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal assistive technology to navigate this complexity, transitioning from a theoretical construct to a practical clinical 'co-pilot'. Objective: This review explores the integration of AI subfields, including machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and natural language processing (NLP), into the nutrition care process (NCP), and the specific regulatory and ethical landscape facing South African Registered Dietitians (RDs). Discussion: AI-driven tools enhance the NCP by improving the accuracy of dietary assessments through computer vision, automating malnutrition screening via predictive modelling and optimising high-stakes interventions such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in neonatal care. Additionally, the review examines emerging applications of AI in institutional food service management, including intelligent menu planning, automated procurement and food waste reduction, domains that are integral to the South African Registered Dietitian's scope of practice but have received comparatively limited attention in the literature. However, the transition to AI-augmented practice introduces risks of algorithmic bias, 'de-skilling' and AI 'hallucinations'. Within the South African context, practitioners must navigate stringent requirements set by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) Booklet 20 and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The use of clinical-grade prompt engineering, such as the PCCF (Persona, Context, Constraints, and Format) framework, is presented as a vital competency to ensure medically and culturally appropriate outputs. Conclusion: AI should be positioned as a clinical co-pilot that amplifies the impact of the dietitian rather than a substitute for professional autonomy. By maintaining a 'human-in-the-loop' approach and adhering to local regulatory frameworks, South African dietitians can leverage AI to address the nation's unique nutritional double burden and promote health equity.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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