Reduce food waste with a fridge selfie

We’ve all been there — standing in the supermarket trying in vain to remember how much milk you have left in the fridge. More often than not, we decide to play it safe and buy another bottle just in case.

According to research by British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, such ad hoc decision-making is causing households in the UK to waste £1.5 billion worth of food every year buying items they already have in the fridge.

Fruit and veg are the most overbought items, with 38% and 35% of shoppers regularly stocking up on more than they need. Milk, cheese and eggs complete the top five products that are most frequently overbought.

The solution could lie in the form of a selfie — of your fridge. Bosch has launched a fridge that uses cameras to snap the contents of shelves and the door. A picture is uploaded to the shopper’s smartphone to view as they browse the aisles.

Charlotte Moran, group marketing manager for Bosch, said, “The Bosch fridge is very versatile when it comes to assisting with our hectic daily lives and, with the latest camera technology, it can help save on overbuying. Not only does the fridge take pictures which link up with our Home Connect app, you can also control the temperature of the fridge and freezer remotely. Our VitaFresh technology will also enable you to keep food up to three times longer.”

The Bosch technology is being put to the test by households in the town of Swadlincote as part of the Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative. The retailer is investing £1 million in making Swadlincote the official testbed of ideas to dramatically cut food waste by 50% over 12 months.