Food packaging may soon be texting you to say the contents are about to spoil

With all the texts we receive on our phones these days, we probably don't need yet another source sending us messages, but a new system reportedly being developed in the EU might be worth leaving unblocked.

According to the UK Daily Mail, researchers are working on a computer chip that, when inserted into food packaging, will be able to tell exactly when the food is about to spoil and send out a message telling you that you'd better eat it.

There's a system in place for perishable foods already, of course. There's 'best before' dates, expiry dates, 'use by' dates and even 'sell by' dates printed on food packaging. Each has a slightly different meaning, but they're all meant to give us a guideline for when we should toss the food out (if we haven't already eaten it). However, the dates assume that we're 'keeping up our end of the bargain', so to speak — storing that perishable item in the right conditions (typically in the refrigerator or freezer) so that it stays fresher for longer.

However, apparently this new system won't involve any assumptions. It will actually keep track of how the food is stored and the status of whatever's inside the packaging. When the food is actually on its way to spoiling, it can signal that, so that we can use it before then.

This could save us money. It could save us from that annoying situation where our dinner plans ruined by discovering a key ingredient in our meal actually spoiled a few days ago. It could also help reduce food-waste overall, which will likely become a big issue for food security going into the future.

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Now, for those who aren't enthusiastic about getting texted by their fridge — Baroness Scott of Needham Market apparently expressed this when she mentioned the innovation — this kind of idea could easily be rolled into the new 'internet-connected' refrigerators that have hit the market. Since these have been touted for their ability to help us keep better track of things in the kitchen, this could simply be a part of that trend.

Granted, with recent news that people's refrigerators had been hacked to send out spam messages, maybe it might be a good idea to keep the 'best before' dates printed on as a backup, at least until our fridges can boast the same kind of internet security as the rest of our home network.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

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