Food waste is a significant contributor to climate change – it produces methane while it rots, which warms the planet faster than CO2. However, most food that’s thrown away is still good. In the UK alone, 60% of discarded food is still edible, even if the label states that it’s expired.
Industrial designer Solveiga Pakštaitė has developed a solution to this problem – Mimica Touch – a label or cap that lets consumers know when their food or beverage is truly spoiled. Mimica Touch allows consumers to keep their food for longer, thus reducing food waste.
Expiration dates are not exact; they are estimates of the worst-case temperature scenario for the product to make sure the consumer is safe. However, since most consumers store food and beverages in far better conditions than the worst-case scenario, the product is most likely still edible when it says it’s not. This is when good food and money get wasted.
The company said:
“Mimica’s mission is to radically reduce scarcity and unnecessary waste by becoming the new standard for freshness information for industry, consumers, and communities all around the world.”
Mimica Touch helps you get a better reading of your food status. Inside the label or cap is a bio-responsive gel that reacts at the same pace as the food inside spoils. The gel filling liquefies over time, and the rates alter as conditions change. Once you can feel the bumps underneath, the food or beverage is spoiled.
Its intuitive design makes it easy to use; the left side stays smooth the entire time, making it obvious when the right side turns bumpy. Mimica Touch can be used for juices, dairy products, and red meat. The company is currently working towards launching the labels and caps.
