A much talked about labeling system is finally set to reach the retail consumer this year. Timestrips use capillary action to draw a liquid at a constant rate across the label to provide visual use-by dates for fresh groceries and leftovers. The professional and catering versions are timed stickers designed for spoilage tracking in large kitchens. Most restaurant regulatory agencies require all meats and produce to be labeled with date received, date opened, and future disposal date. These stickers are just the next evolution in food tracking.

The real excitement is that Nestle has confirmed that their initial testing was well received and Timestrips will be rolled out on one of their products this year. With this vote of corporate confidence it won't be long until other manufacturers pick up the technology for prepackaged foods and pharmaceuticals. The company is touting their product as an "intelligent post-it note," and I think that it's going to make quite an impression on the way we consume perishables.

Thanks to Rita for the heads up.