Smart fridge camera sends alerts when food nearly gone off

Wireless camera and connected app prevents waste by alerting users when food expiry dates are near.

The FridgeCam has been developed by the London-based company Smarter. Created to prevent waste by alerting users whenever food expiration dates are near, the connected camera also provides recipe suggestions based on the current contents of the fridge and automatically compiles shopping lists.

Magnetically mounted, FridgeCam takes only moments to set up. Users download the app, and with personalized notifications, know just before they run out of any favorites. FridgeCam takes a photo of the inside of the refrigerator every time the door closes. Connected via wifi, alerts are sent to everyone in the household who has signed up to the same account.

Waste prevention is essential to sustainability, and the food industry is a well-known culprit. Hence the multitude of projects popping up to try to combat the excess. This app provides on-demand food donation, and this one lets hungry users order unsold restaurant meals at a bargain price. If prevention really is better than a cure, what are some of the first steps needed to stop waste before it starts?