Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Packaging warns you if product is old

packaging warns you if product is old
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As we all are aware, nowadays every product must have manufacture and expiration dates on the package, but if the product has gone off and no longer can be and should be used, what are the ways for the customers to learn about that?

Our idea is the following. When the product has actually gone bad due to improper storage conditions, we will be able to see bright warning inscription or picture (or mark) which appears on the surface by itself. Pictures or inscriptions are done in a simple way, which means large in size and easy to understand for everyone. For example, big red letters, such as “STOP” or “WARNING”, could be written.

The usual label for the expiration date can not guarantee the quality of products, because usual package and shelf life dates do not change according to the real storage conditions e.g. temperature, humidity.

The new package sign of our company would signal immediately about the products unsafe for consumption. This kind of technology is useful for visually impaired people, children, elderly, and international consumers

The new unique packaging can be your competitive advantage. Regarding the technical aspect of this idea, there are several ways to display the inscriptions or pictures on the package: chemical, photo, glue, microchips and etc. Modern technology makes it easy to develop this approach and to reach the desired result.

To illustrate this product’s idea, we’d like to provide few examples. Situation one: if a child forgot to put milk, yogurt or any other dairy products back into refrigerator and as a result the product has been on the table exposed to the room temperature for a couple of hours, the time for consuming this product of course would decrease, and that is when the warning inscription or sign would appear on the package to alert the consumer about the spoiled condition of the product. Situation two: a senior person fell ill, and he/she needs to take the medication immediately. But there is no time to read the usual expiry date inscription. Our current approach of using new indicator would allow senior people to learn instantly whether the product is still good or already passed the expiration date. If the product is no longer safe for consumer the big bright safety alert symbol would appear on the label of the medicine package.

elcom, Mar 16 2012

Spray on Petri dish solutions. http://onlinelibrar...sential+maintenance
Spray the words DONT EAT ME and watch it grow.... [PainOCommonSense, Mar 16 2012]

Halfbakery: Mission Inedible Mission Inedible
Similar in some senses, attached idea has more explosions. [zen_tom, Mar 16 2012]

Packet of salt, with a best before date http://img.thedaily...Salt_until_3000.jpg
..good for 988 years apparently [not_morrison_rm, Mar 25 2012]

Australian Pink Salt http://www.murrayri...com.au/products.htm
[AusCan531, Mar 25 2012]

[link]






       Not bad. There are a few other ideas along these lines in the archives, but this is far and away the most thought-out and practicable. Welcome to the HalfBakery! This is one helluva start, and here's your first bun. Give us more!   

       Be warned, however: my learned colleagues are about to tear your idea apart and jump up and down on the remains. Don't take it personally--it's what we do here.
Alterother, Mar 16 2012
  

       [ ] so how does the packaging know when the product has "gone off"   

       I think I'd prefer it to blow up on the expiry date.
FlyingToaster, Mar 16 2012
  

       //Packaging warns you if product is old//   

       Be a good idea in dimly lit nightclubs too.
AusCan531, Mar 16 2012
  

       //we//? when did we become a group?   

       I'd like to see packaging that continually rolls the product off the shelf!
po, Mar 16 2012
  

       //        when did we become a group?   //   

       Fine, exclude yourself if you want to. I was just being elitist. Isn't that what we do here?
Alterother, Mar 16 2012
  

       I am guessing what we need is bacteria. We all know that this is the problem (ie. milk grows bacteria), so hows about we spray a sort of thin dairy/egg based layer on a plastic label, with some indicator that reacts to the presence of bacteria using a bright colour. Then as the product grows old at room temperature, your penicillin like spray paint will turn greeny printout out the words, DONT EAT ME in font size 35 or there abouts. when the font grows hair and gets to about 72, you know you are in for digestive problems.   

       Here is where we need an expert on non deadly bacteria & spray on petri dishes. Perhaps have a read of something like this... [see link]   

       My work here is done ! [swings scarf around neck and marches out with head high]
PainOCommonSense, Mar 16 2012
  

       I love you like a brother, [bigsleep]. Deal with it.   

       Taking your comments more seriously, however, I do tend to abuse the sense of community that this forum engenders, which is ironic given my strong distaste for mainstream social networking. If it's a problem I'll try to tone it down.
Alterother, Mar 16 2012
  

       //I love you like a brother, [bigsleep]. Deal with it.// ---> "Mom! Billy put his finger on my side of the line again!"   

       [elcom], don't worry too much. Virtual family here, just so we can have virtual tussles / warfare / genocide that can wipe out the Local Group of galaxies as collateral damage. Virtually. It's just all in our heads. (Your head, too, if you want to stick around...)   

       Back to your idea...   

       I've been finding, in the diet foods sections where I am now coerced to shop, a large fraction of the items should be marked "This Stuff Will Kill You" as it comes from the cement mixer, or whatever it is they make it in.
lurch, Mar 16 2012
  

       Don't you kids make [jutta] pull this webpage over to the side of the road and come back here again. Remember the last time? I couldn't put my fingertips on a keyboard for a week.
normzone, Mar 16 2012
  

       Did somebody forget to empty the hb:angst category again?
FlyingToaster, Mar 16 2012
  

       I think I may have inadvertantly crossed a line somewhere.
Alterother, Mar 16 2012
  

       No, [po] just drew a line after you'd already gone by. It's all related to that very low moon orbit thing. And everybody else is placing retroactive connective dots along that line. Next somebody's going to expect me to color within them - the lines, that is.   

       Have a good weekend, everybody.
normzone, Mar 16 2012
  

       <does best Ackbar impression>
"It's a trap!"
  

       Welcome
..[elcom].
....lcom..
......co..
........o.
.........
  

       It's not that I don't wish to offend anybody--far from it. I just don't wish to offend when that is not my intent.   

       And anyone who has a problem with that can suck it.
Alterother, Mar 16 2012
  

       Useful, but my own personal preference is for the best before dates in roman numerals, which did exist as a post here somewhere, but isn't around now.
not_morrison_rm, Mar 17 2012
  

       Selective deletion by certain 'bakers has made it appear that I am having a tiff with myself... which I like.
Alterother, Mar 20 2012
  

       Far too much food is thrown away after its supposed "expiry date" which is perfectly good, and is a complete waste. Suggest you trust your eyes, nose and tastebuds and throw away the food when it has actually gone off.
goff, Mar 20 2012
  

       — Alterother, You missed the oportunity to end in "...No I don't... speak for your self....!"
PainOCommonSense, Mar 22 2012
  

       It would appear to be so. Full credit to me if you delete that anno!
Alterother, Mar 23 2012
  

       Already on the market in Europe http://www.vitsab.com/ "Temperature labels and smart packaging solutions for protecting your product from heat damage" ;-)
finners, Mar 24 2012
  

       Please note link to photo of packet of salt with best before date...
not_morrison_rm, Mar 25 2012
  

       That's quite amusing since the salt was laid down over 200 million years ago.   

       By the way, there appears to be many BS quotes about those pink salts. Nearly 1% insoluble but claimed to be the purest salt! Hand washed and air dried...in the mountains of Pakistan. Yeah, really clean and fresh.... Probably spread over the road by a tractor.
Ling, Mar 25 2012
  

       Not all pink salts are the same [Ling]. The Pakistani stuff is mined rock salt and probably is millions of years old. The Australian pink salt are flakes formed from underground saline brines through heat and evaporation. [link] The colour is from trace minerals such as iron. Based upon the photo of the Pakistani crystal salt and their relative ages, the Australian stuff is probably good for 200,000,988 years.
AusCan531, Mar 25 2012
  

       When I first saw this idea, I knew it was well baked, but from the number of annos (which I couldn't be bothered to read, but if I had I would have seen that the majority of them were off topic) I assumed someone had already pointed it out.   

       Idea: Website warns you if idea is old. A clever search thingy (ask Google for details) that shows you ideas (or annos) that might be this idea. It precludes the old "Didn't you do a search before posting this idea" annos.   

       But don't Google it now, Halfbakery is the top 2 results. Well done Jutta, that's how I fell into this place... I think, my memory doesn't go back further than that any more.
marklar, Mar 25 2012
  

       You know, I have no idea how I got in here either. Somebody must have left a window open.
Alterother, Mar 25 2012
  

       I'm still trying to work out how to get out...I ended up here as a Community Service order, how about you?
not_morrison_rm, Mar 28 2012
  
      
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