The App Review: FoodKeeper

Each week we review a food related app. This week it’s FoodKeeper – find out what The Lempert Report thought.

What it says it does: The FoodKeeper app offers users valuable storage advice about more than 400 food and beverage items including various types of baby food, dairy products and eggs, meat, poultry, produce, seafood, and more. Every year, billions of pounds of food go to waste in the US because consumers are not sure of its quality or safety. USDA estimates that 21 percent of the available food in the US goes uneaten at the consumer level.

What it actually does: FoodKeeper informs users how to store food and beverages to maximize their freshness and quality. By helping users understand food storage, the application empowers consumers to choose storage methods that extend the shelf life of their items. Users will be able to keep items fresh longer than if they were not stored properly. Search the app for your foods, and you’ll find storage times that are intended as useful guidelines. Some foods may deteriorate more quickly while others may last longer than the times suggested. The times will vary depending on the growing conditions, harvesting techniques, manufacturing processes, transportation and distribution conditions, nature of the food, and storage temperatures.

How useful is the information for target audience?: With so much food wasted, consumers can keep track of their items and make sure to consume them while they are still fresh. The app even has calendar integration, which allows users to enter the purchase date for products and offers notifications when products are nearing the end of their recommended storage date.

Ease of use: The app is easy to search and find what you are looking for. Users can even submit a question to the USDA using the “ask Karen” function.

Who would best benefit from the app?: Anyone interested in reducing food waste and saving money! The app helps users accomplish this through buying appropriate quantities, storing foods properly, cooking what is needed and composting.

Cost: Free
Rating: 96/100
Visual: 15 (1-15)
Usability: 13 (1-15)
Content: 23 (1-25)
Usefulness: 25 (1-25)
Value: 10 (1- 10)
Options: 10 (1- 10)
More info: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/usda-foodkeeper/id978186100?mt=8