

Intelligent food expiry label could save tonnes of needless waste - T-zex
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/10/intelligent-food-expiry-label-waste-bump-mark

======
fractallyte
Better way to save tonnes of needless waste: _intelligent consumer_.

It really isn't difficult to inspect food to check if it's 'off'. Our innate
senses are pretty good for that.

~~~
PeterWhittaker
Good luck with that, many toxins are effectively undetectable by us human
types. Not to mention that innate senses vary, not all persons have the same
abilities.

Cf my main comment as well, of course.

------
AndrewDucker
I don't get it.

The gelatin is simply mixed to go off after a set number of days. How is that
better than a label with a date on it?

~~~
necrobrit
> you’d measure how many days they’d last at the _optimum temperature_ and
> match the gelatine formula so it would also last the same amount.

Because the gelatin will also respond to sub-optimal temperatures and spoil
faster. Presumably this means you could reasonably set the gelatin tag to the
actual point of spoilage for the product -- rather than the 'peak freshness'
current 'use-by' dates usually represent.

~~~
AndrewDucker
Aaah, that makes sense!

If it spoils faster in the heat, that would affect both. Thank you!

------
PeterWhittaker
Summary: Label contains a gelatin layer that degrades in roughly the same way
as the food inside the package. If the label is smooth, the food is likely
good; if the label is bumpy, the food is suspect. Designed originally for the
visually impaired, the product has much wider application.

Cool.

------
contraption
Assuming the gelatin comes from animal sources (as it almost certainly does)
this will present a bit of a conundrum for a lot of vegetarians, especially
those who avoid farmed meat products for reasons of wastefulness.

