With development comes ability of an individual to eat better and perhaps more. However, with fulfillment, a tendency of overstocking and throwing away the food also creeps in users. This is one of the negative aspects of development.
Such practice is fast becoming a part of urban lifestyle and it is sorrowful to see large quantities of food just going down the dustbins, especially when millions around the world go to bed hungry. What is surprising is that we often indulge in food wastage without even knowing the extent to which we are doing so. Here let us have a look at some technological solutions to mitigate the wastage of food.
Smart plastic bags
Professor Andrew Mills at Strathclyde University developed a unique plastic bag that indicates the freshness level of the foods packed in it once you open the bag. These bags also indicate whether the package was damaged or not, thus helping you make smart choices while buying your groceries in stores. The unique plastic bag has color based oxygen indicators like Titanium dioxide.
These bags are airtight and thus contain less oxygen within. When someone opens the package, knowingly or unknowingly, the level of oxygen builds up in the packet, which activates the colorless Methylene in Titanium dioxide to change the color to blue.
Smartphone food monitoring Apps
Certain applications like Fridge Police can turn your Smartphone into virtual food monitor. The app helps you create a database of the food items you have bought and used in your Smartphone. The application then sends in daily alerts to you that how long the items have been in the fridge or kitchen shelf. This helps you keep a track on the expiry date of the foods that you eat, so that you can consume the products that are about to expire.
Ethylene-absorbing discs
We all know that the process of rotting of fruits begins with the release of ethylene by them. These ethylene-absorbing sticks absorb the gas, emitted by fruits, which mitigates the ripening process of the fruits and hence, prolongs their shelf life or before they begin to rot.
Online communities
The online communities of food for agers and dumpsters connect to the various eateries that dump surplus food to the bin and the homeless people who badly need food for survival. Thus, the food instead of going into dustbins and landfill sites gets into the bellies of the hungry and those who cannot afford to buy food.
Solar coolers
Solar coolers are portable boxes to store the food items. The cooler does not need ice or other cooling agents to keep the internal temperature low. It features solar panels on the lid that harness the solar energy and divert it into batteries to keep the containers cool. Now you need not feel worried about the food getting stale during your outdoor excursions or camping in far off areas.
Herb pod
This wonderful gadget keeps the herbs like peppermint, asparagus, spring onions, parsley and coriander leaves fresh for a longer period. These herb pods can prolong the life of the herbs by almost three weeks. The base of the pod holds water and herbs when placed in it draw water from the pod, enabling them to remain fresh and healthy. Users can easily tuck the pod against the fridge door from inside.
Latest technological advancements not just improve our life but also help us improve the life of poor and needy by allowing us to reduce our food wastage. Advanced gadgets and appliances also allow us keep our food fresh and healthy for a longer period to minimize wastage.
