Many people buy groceries once a week. It is quite common that fruits and vegetables are wasted due to spoilage. It is estimated that such waste adds up to 200 lb. a year per household in US. This is bad financially and increases the amount of undesirable micro-organisms, such as mold, in fridge or the general environment. Wouldn’t it be nice if we can reduce such spoilage? Rubbermaid, a household item producer, introduced a set of containers, branded FreshWorks, addressing the issue. When produce ripens, it produces carbon dioxide and water while taking in oxygen. FreshWorks containers have a membrane in the lid that regulates the flow of oxygen and carbon oxide. They also have a tray at the bottom to elevate produce from condensation to reduce the amount of water, and hence bacteria and mold, on the surface of produce. The tray also improves airflow in containers. Consequently, produce, such as strawberry, tomato, avocado and apple, can be kept fresh longer.
This innovation probably came from the desire to fix the problem of produce spoilage. The inventors combined a couple of different features or technologies, such as a functional membrane and an elevating tray, to generate the desired effect. It might be interesting to use these technologies in a fridge, or any other food storage facility, so that produce can be stored longer.
However, we could also tackle this challenge in a different way. What about labeling the time of purchase so that people can know how long the produce has been with them. This would remind people to consume the produce in time. For example, if we can design a label that can change color gradually, it might be put on every perishable item so that it is easy to tell an item has been purchase for certain time and needs to be consumed right away.
Now that the membrane materials can regulate the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide, would it be possible to use the membrane to accelerate the ripening of produce when needed?
Link: shop here
Contact: webpage
Location: Georgia, US
Mentioned: among the best inventions of the year by Time
Purpose
Reduce food spoilage due to water accumulation
Idea
Have a tray at the bottom of the container to elevate produce from condensation.
Further Possibilities
1. Use the membrane and elevating tray in a fridge or other food storage facilities.
2. Develop containers that use ultraviolet to keep food fresh.
3. Develop containers that use nitrogen or other gas to keep food fresh.
4. Develop labels that change color by time to remind people a perishable item is getting old.
5. Use the membrane in masks to adjust the flow of oxygen and CO2
Questions
1. What uses does this membrane have for rockets and astronauts?
2. How else might we reduce food spoilage?
3. How might we make use of spoiled food?
