July 6, 2016
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service has updated its popular FoodKeeper application. The app is designed to help consumers use food while at its peak quality and reduce waste.
New updates include food storage and handling recommendations, food recalls, improved notification functions for food spoilage alerts and Spanish and Portuguese functionality. Users can browse by categories including baby food, baked goods, beverages, condiments, dairy and deli just to name a few.
“The FoodKeeper app is a very handy and easy tool to use, and it reflects USDA’s commitment to provide consumers with information and knowledge so they can make informed decisions,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Adding food recall alerts to the app’s capabilities makes the FoodKeeper a top-notch tool for consumer engagement and protection.”
Household food waste represents about 44 percent of all food waste in the United States. The FoodKeeper app was developed in partnership with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute, as a tool to help reduce food waste by sharing storage methods that extend the shelf life of the foods and beverages in American homes.
Since it was launched in April 2015, it has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The FoodKeeper app can also be accessed at FoodSafety.gov/FoodKeeper.
For more information, visit http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/07/0159.xml&contentidonly=true.