By CBS News

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using artificial intelligence in an effort to to create a system that would give consumers control when it comes to avoiding dangerous food-borne illnesses. It could one day enable you to scan lettuce for E.coli, detect lead in water and even determine whether the alcohol you're drinking on vacation is tainted.

The technology is still in its early stages, but the team of young MIT scientists working on it say it could revolutionize the future of food safety, reports CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste.  

"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 or from a farmer's market," said Fadel Adib, the professor leading the project.