A label technology that uses visual indicators to help consumers quickly identify when foods need to be eaten has been hailed a possible answer to the problem of food waste. The international consortium behind Oli-Tec, comprising machinery manufacturers, label producers, retail experts and investors, calls it "the world's first truly accurate food freshness indicator label." The patent protected time and temperature indicator label (TTi) is planned for release to market early 2012. "Best before" and "use by" dates will be presented "in a clear and easy to understand way," states Open Life Packaging, Oli-Tec's marketing company. A traffic light display system reflects the actual condition of the product: "Green" when the product is good to consume; "amber" when the best before date has passed; and "red" when the use by date has arrived. According to the company, it is suitable for use on jars, bottles and packets, the label can be activated at the first point of opening and colour changes are triggered by the "open life" of the product.
