Techies are tackling food waste with artificial intelligence through an app that learns the fruit and veg storage habits of it users.
The EatBy kitchen management and grocerylist app automatically suggests how long fruit, vegand frozen itemswill stay fresh for and then reminds you to use themup before theygooff. The clever bit, according to the developers, is that the app learns the storage habits of individual users.
'Not everyone's kitchen is the same, and different food storage environments effect shelf life,” said EatBy App's co-founder Steffan Lewis. “EatBy App addresses this problem by learning as it's used over time.'
He added: 'Artificial Intelligence does not need to be scary. In EatBy's case it'll simply help make life better. Our technology is aimed at families, foodies and people who love to cook.
“We're not interested in creating futuristic, sterile kitchens. We are interested in encouraging everyone to eatdelicious fresh food, reducefood waste and savemoney.'
Domestic food waste is now the biggest contributor to the global food waste problem and supermarkets have suffered the brunt of bad publicity, being blamed for massive quantities of unsold food being wasted.
Many supermarkets and grocery stores have since made big changes to reduce food waste in the supply chain, with Tesco broadening its specifications, investing in smarter crop management and improving its food processing operaions. But the problem of food wasted at home is still massive.
The Eatby developersbelieve consumers need to review their grocery shopping and food consumption habits. In some cases households unnecessarily waste up to 30 per cent of their food simply from poor kitchen management.
This not only has a detrimental environmental impact, it also has a big impact on householders' wallets. With the escalation of food prices – especially in the UK, where the pound has slumped as a reaction of Brexit – careful food management is becoming more important.
Designers at EatBy say they are now developing the app to make the best use of the freezer in an effort to make users more aware of the benefits of freezing food to further reduce food waste.
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