Approximately one-third of the food produced worldwide is wasted and never consumed. This
is a major problem for a variety of reasons, including the fact that starvation continues to be
an issue in many parts of the world. (European Commission, 2023) Furthermore, food waste
alone accounts for at least 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. (EPA, 2021)
Households are responsible for 29% of food loss in Ireland, which makes them the primary
cause of food waste. (EPA, 2021) Inadequate food planning and management is one of the
leading causes of waste in households. (European Commission, 2023)
It can take a lot of work to keep track of all the food in the house and to determine when it is
best to eat it to avoid waste. AI could assist households with meal planning, creating suitable
recipes, warning when food goes bad, and appropriate grocery lists. Households would be
able to easily control their food consumption and avoid food waste with this assistance.
Design
‘Fooditude’ would be an app in which everything related to food comes together. The app will allow multiple users within a household to create an account together. This ensures that each user’s preferences, dietary restrictions, and food choices are considered. The features in the app would include the following:
- Product inventory: a comprehensive overview of all the products in a household’s storage
is provided. Products can be effortlessly added to this list by taking a picture of products
or receipts, AI will recognize the product and add them to the inventory. Users can also
manually input items, such as fresh produce from local markets. An expiration date will be
automatically predicted by ‘Fooditude’ and can be manually specified by the user. - AI recipe generator: Based on the products in the product overview and the preferences of
the user the AI recipe generator will offer a variety of fitting recipes with instructions for
any dish (these preferences can be preset, so users do not have to fill it out every time):- Type of dish (e.g., dinner, cake, snack)
- Preferred or excluded ingredients from the inventory (or other additional items)
- Number of servings
- Allergies and dietary restrictions (optional)
- Cuisine preferences (optional)
- Occasion (e.g., a birthday – optional)
- Available kitchen utensils (optional)
- Time availability (optional)
- Additional requirements (optional)
If a meal is made, the app will update the product inventory accordingly. Users can also
provide feedback on factors like portion size and food combination. This feedback helps
to refine future recipes.
- Recipe library: all AI-generated, self-made recipes or internet-sources recipes can be
saved to the recipe overview. This way the favorite recipes can easily be reused. - Calendar and meal planner: A calendar would give a clear overview of when the user
wants to make certain recipes and use products. The calendar also keeps track of the
expiration dates of products and will warn the user if they are not planning to use certain
foods before their expiration date.
The calendar will contain an option to suggest a plan for upcoming meals, based on the
product inventory, recipe library, expiration dates, and other given input by the user. This
makes it easier to keep up with the meal planning. - Grocery list: users can keep a grocery list. When a recipe is planned to be eaten later that
week and products are not in the inventory, they will automatically be added to the
grocery list. Besides, users can manually add groceries that they want to buy to get a
complete overview.
Inspiration
‘Fooditude’ would of course not be the first technological assistance to help individuals with
issues surrounding food. In the last few years AI generators have already started to make
personalized recipes, like ‘DishGen’ and ‘Let’s Foodie’. However, these devices are relatively
new and missing a lot of features to specify the recipes to satisfy the user’s preferences and
prevent food waste.
Separately some other apps and websites help people keep track of the food in house, when it
will go bad, and suggest fitting internet-sources recipes. An example of this could be ‘Fridge
Pal’. However, as the recipes are not personalized, they never fit completely the food that
people have access to.
‘Fooditude’ would be able to give the full picture, including AI-generated recipes, help with
meal planning and organizing, and clear overviews of the inventory.
Result:
At the start, it may take the user some time to comprehend the app, but its potential impact on
reducing food waste is substantial. ‘Fooditude’ can help solve the issue of global food waste,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and supply food to the people who need it most.
References
- EPA. ‘’Food Waste Statistics’’ 2021. https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring–
assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/food/ - European Commission. ‘’Food Waste’’ 2023. https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/foodwaste_en