Driving food waste reduction and sustainable food choices with Bump Tag

Bump Tag is a temperature-sensitive label on food packaging that responds to storage temperatures and turns bumpy when food actually spoils. Rather than replacing expiry dates, it helps brands and producers safely print longer dates based on reasonable storage, while also warning if poor storage has shortened that time. The unique gel chemistry inside is calibrated specifically for each food group, for total accuracy.

For producers and retailers there’s an opportunity to create brand loyalty and boost sales by increasing consumer confidence and helping them waste less, while also mitigating losses from otherwise expired stock.

Consumers also benefit by gaining confidence in using food for longer, which prevents unnecessary waste, reduces carbon emissions, saves them money and supports a more sustainable food system.

This 18-month project, building on a previous EIT Food-funded initiative, is led by Mimica in partnership with ABP and the University of Reading to deliver meaningful sustainability and social impact benefits. It enables the rapid rollout of the Bump Tag to high-value products like meat and fish, while also assessing its impact on sustainable food choices. The research conducted at the University will play a pivotal role in understanding consumer behaviour and validating the effectiveness of the Bump Tag technology.

The University of Reading will conduct a series of consumer tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bump Tag in:

1. Helping consumers make more sustainable food choices

2. Reducing overall food waste in households – helping consumers save money and reduce waste

3. Increasing consumer confidence in fresh food products