No more wasted food

An industrial design student from Brunel University has created a way of tackling food waste, by integrating a time sensor into the lids of jars, bottles and cartons, which automatically informs users how many days each product has left until it is no longer fresh.

Stephanie Prichard, designer of the product, believes this simple, cost-effective device could play a major role in reducing the six million tonnes of household food waste that is produced in the UK each year.

During her research, she discovered that one third of all food we buy is thrown away. A large percentage of this is food in jars, bottles and cartons, primarily because they have been sitting in the fridge for a few days or weeks, with the owner unaware of exactly when the product was opened.

Her design offers a simple solution. Once a product has been opened, a time sensor is automatically activated, with a red line appearing on the top of the lid. The line gradually travels across the lid, indicating how many days the product is fresh for. Once the line reaches the end of the lid, the product is no longer fresh. The sensors can be set by manufacturers for between three and 28 days, in accordance with the shelf life of each product.