A new gadget may be the answer to a very costly dilemma. Australians throw out $2.67 billion of fresh food every year, according to a government survey of 1,200 NSW households. The FoodSniffer could go a long way in preventing this.
Wondering whether a piece of meat is still fresh is not an uncommon problem for home cooks. When faced with this problem, the majority of people tend to dispose of the cut, which likely contributes to the billions of dollars-worth of fresh food being thrown out each year.
The FoodSniffer (available online) claims it can ‘sniff out’ foul gases undetectable to the human nose, and will tell cooks whether the uncooked meat in their fridge is safe for consumption. Using sensors, the product detects the temperature and humidity of raw meat, as well as detecting ammonia and other dangerous compounds within the meat.
It then sends the results to the owner’s smartphone or tablet, advising them whether the meat is fresh, on the cusp, or expired.
The product was created by Lithuanian inventor Augustas Alesunias, who claims it has an accuracy rate of 85 to 90 per cent.