Packaging Changes Colors To Alert Shoppers When Food Spoils 

Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem has partnered with universities in the U.S. and Brazil to create food packaging that will change color to alert you when it spoils. The package uses PH indicators to determine whether the food has spoiled. The first prototype of the technology was released last year–if successfully incorporated, it could help with problems of food waste and prevent consumers from navigating confusing labels. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, currently consumers throw out a billion pounds of food each year because of label confusion.

In 2014, Researchers at the University of Rhode Island developed heat-sensing UPC codes that changed colors when product became too warm, suggesting spoilage; meanwhile, researchers in China created tiny smart tags that could attach to packaging and notify consumers of spoilage.

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