Shelf life indicator 'Keep-it' combats food waste

Research by meal box supplier HelloFresh shows that one in five Dutch people will have wasted more food in 2020 than in previous years, because they often do not know how food can best be stored. Together with the Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the company therefore conducted research into the Keep-it shelf life indicator. This indicator shows on the packaging until when a fresh product can continue to be used. In this way, the consumer has to throw away food less often. 

About Keep-it Shelf Life Indicator

The smart sensor technology of Keep It® measures the temperatures at which products are stored on the go, and indicates how many days of shelf life remain. Consumers then only need to throw away a product when it is really no longer good. Earlier research by both parties showed that consumers often confuse the Best Before (THT) or Best To Use (TGT) and do not always apply them correctly. The smart best-before date indicator is based on time-temperature history and helps consumers make the right trade-offs. "In Norway, several retailers have been using the Keep-it® indicator since 2013," says Gertrude Zeinstra, project coordinator and researcher at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. "We wanted to know whether Dutch and Flemish consumers are also open to this, how they interact with it and whether they understand how the indicator works." 

The research

The research was conducted among 1500 customers of the meal box supplier. A test group of 421 customers received the Keep-it indicator on the packaging of the salmon in the HelloFresh meal box including a flyer explaining the system and expiration dates in general.  The control group of 1064 customers did not receive a Keep-it indicator, but did receive a flyer with expiration dates in general. Both groups answered a questionnaire about the best-before date indicator, which was then presented to the control group by means of a picture. The majority of consumers appeared positive about the Keep-it indicator and indicated that they found the system reliable and useful. The research shows that the indicator has potential in reducing food waste. "76% felt that the indicator could help them to waste less food," says Zeinstra. With indicator, more participants indicated they would smell and look first and fewer would immediately throw the product away.

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