As Earth Day approaches on April 22, the spotlight shifts towards actions we can take daily to mitigate our environmental impact.
Is one area ripe for improvement? Food waste lurks in neglected corners of our fridges.
Ever discovered a forgotten piece of cheese or abandoned leftovers lurking behind the milk carton?
You are not alone. The staggering reality is that household food waste accounts for a whopping 631 million metric tons annually, comprising 60% of the total food wasted globally, as per a UN report.
A renowned brand for its signature mayonnaise jars, Hellman’s, has come out with a solution to combat what they term “fridge blindness.”
Their brainchild, the Meal Reveal app, aims to revolutionize how we tackle food waste.
Powered by Google’s AI technology, this app scans your fridge’s contents via your smartphone camera, and then cleverly suggests recipes to repurpose those neglected ingredients.
The concept is simple yet ingenious. Just snap a photo or video of your fridge (do not forget the produce drawer) and let the app work its magic.
Within moments, you will be presented with a curated list of recipe ideas tailored to your available ingredients.
While the convenience of Meal Reveal is undeniable, its affiliation with a brand like Hellman’s raises eyebrows.
Skeptics may question whether the app’s suggestions subtly steer users towards purchasing specific products to complete recipes.
And Hellman is not the only player in the food waste game.
Last year, Puerto Rican supermarket chain SuperMax introduced an Instagram filter to help customers transform outdated dry goods into delectable dishes.
Meanwhile, Dutch supermarket Makro pioneered a novel solution with color-coded stickers on produce, indicating ripeness levels, to guide consumers in their consumption decisions.
In this landscape of innovation, one thing is clear: AI holds tremendous potential in combating food waste.
Whether it is unlocking the hidden potential of leftovers or guiding us towards more mindful consumption, technology is proving to be a powerful ally in the fight against food waste – one fridge at a time.
