Seneca Valley School District is partnering with an artificial intelligence startup to pilot a new food waste reduction initiative that will help better prepare students’ meals.

Clean Plate Innovations, a Pittsburgh-based startup, will work with Seneca Valley Intermediate High School by using AI technology to reduce overall food waste while improving quality and appeal of student meals.

Clean Plate Innovations uses discreet camera technology and artificial intelligence to analyze food selection and disposal patterns in school cafeterias, according to a Seneca Valley news release. The district said while the system does not identify individual students, it will give aggregate data on what students are eating and what they are throwing away.

The district will review trends over time and use the data to improve menu offerings, portion sizes and food preparation strategies “based on student preferences and consumption patterns.”

Nolen Fetchko, director of food services at Seneca Valley, said in the news release the use of data will help with making informed decisions on use of resources.

“Our goal is to prevent wasted food while making sure students are getting nutritious meals they enjoy eating,” Fetchko said in the news release. “This technology gives us tangible data that allows us to tailor our menu and messaging based on real results. Instead of guessing, we can make informed adjustments that help us improve our menus and use resources more effectively.”