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While the next Earth Day on April 22 will make us aware of our daily actions to reduce our impact on the environment, we can also improve our own carbon footprint by reducing food waste. Are we talking about your refrigerator containing neglected food? An app could help you consume them better!
That piece of cheese wrapped in aluminum foil that no longer looks like anything, that leftover cheese pasta that was supposed to be your on-the-go dinner a week ago, or that bunch of radishes that waited way too long before until you find the right moment to munch on them… Which refrigerator does not contain abandoned food? However, these are all foodstuffs that contribute to the total quantity of food wasted. In France, the Ministry of Ecological Transition estimates food losses and waste at 10 million tonnes per year. In other words, a French person wastes on average 155 kg of food. For example, we waste on average five kilos of bread per year (per person).
On the other side of the Channel, the picture is no better. So much so that the United Kingdom experienced a week of awareness-raising on reducing food waste at the end of last March. On this occasion, Her Majesty’s subjects discovered an app that could help them reduce the carbon impact generated by all this waste. Developped by the Hellman’s brand known for its industrial mayonnaise, the module offers a solution to solve the problem of food left in the fridge. The brand which belongs to the giant Unilever even speaks of “refrigerator blindness”. “Meal Reveal offers a convenient and quick solution for consumers who struggle to understand how the ingredients in their refrigerator can prepare a quick and easy meal” explains the brand.
The principle ? You scan its contents using your smartphone’s camera. You can also share videos or upload photos. The app identifies all the foods and then generates suitable recipes to finish all the leftovers. How does she do it? It is a database powered by Google Cloud artificial intelligence technology that serves as the engine. The AI is thus able to detect the ingredients.
In terms of use, the process is very simple, knowing that it is even free. Simply scan the QR code on the Hellman’s brand website to launch the app. You can choose to make a video or a photo of your fridge. The app reminds us not to forget the vegetable drawer!
If the approach is commendable, we can of course regret that this functionality is offered by a food industry giant like Unilver which will not fail to offer consumers the opportunity to use its products to finalize the recipes generated by the app. But Hellman’s is far from the only food brand to offer this type of tool.
A year ago, a Puerto Rican supermarket chain SuperMax developed a filter on Instagram allowing you to find recipes suitable for expired dry foods such as coffee, rice or sugar. In a completely different area, the Dutch chain of Makro stores has developed a range of stickers in Belgian supermarkets that are distinctive due to their evolving colorimetry. Affixed to fruits and vegetables, the stickers revealed the degree of maturity according to ripening, thus visually indicating whether or not it is better to hurry to consume them.