Apparently, between 2009-2010, 21% of foodborne disease outbreaks occurred in a private home, the cause being undercooking or leaving the food out for too long at an unsafe temperature.
“Most parents know that food safety at home is a big deal, but they need help understanding how long they can keep something out of the fridge,” said Patrick Edson, CTI’s chief marketing officer. “Food companies are understandably hesitant to put warning labels on their packaging, so the problem continues to exist. The simple solution is a ‘return to fridge’ reminder that appears on packaging when the product starts to warm up and the product can become vulnerable to spoilage. When the temperature is fine, the reminder is ‘off.’ When the package is getting warm, the reminder turns on.”
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends any refrigerated food should be discarded if it has been in temperatures above 40° F (4.4° C) for over two hours.
CTI’s ‘reveal inks’ can be printed onto cans, paper labels, cartons and film and are powered by a combination of thermochromic inks. When the product, such as milk, is at a safe temperature, the message reads ‘Drink Milk’, but when the carton reaches a target warm temperature (eg 40° F or 4.4° C), a colour will disappear revealing a ‘return to fridge’ reminder to the consumer.
The ‘on’ and ‘off’ message can be customised throughout the life of the package.
Source: CTI inks
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