Currently, in the UK, foods are sold with ‘display until’ and ‘best before end’ labels. These are intended to advise consumers about when foods are no longer safe to eat. However, this system is not without fault. Now, scientists believe that they have created an innovative solution to this problem with a new bumpy food label.
The Problems with the Current System
First, if foods are stored incorrectly, they may be unsafe to eat before the specified date. Therefore, the date specified is irrelevant.
Second, many people rely on the dates provided on the labels and throw food away that is perfectly safe to eat. This results in a lot of food wastage in the UK.
A third issue is that people with a visual impairment cannot read the dates on the current style of labelling.
The New Bumpy Food Label Trials
There are now new plans to trial an entirely different system. A high-tech food label has been designed that turns bumpy if a food is no longer safe to eat.
Dairy products company Arla is trialling this new bumpy food label. Their cheese, cream, and milk will have this new label to help consumers to know definitively if food is no longer safe.
The labels contain a gelatine-based gel that reacts to the temperature outside and the packaged food. The conditions cause a molecular breakdown and the design of the labels causes them to deteriorate at the same rate as the food.
The Purpose of Bumpy Food Labels
The main aim of these labels is to prevent waste. The current labelling system errs on the side of caution and the new labels will provide a more accurate date for which the products are no longer safe. Food waste campaigners are backing the new labels as an effective solution to this problem.
A further benefit of this type of labelling is that people with a visual impairment are not at a disadvantage. They can feel the label to decide whether a food is safe to consume or not.
It is possible that you will see more food products on the shelves that feature a bumpy food label in the future.