Christian Schmidt, German Minister of Food and Agriculture, has proposed the use of electronic labels in food packaging, such as in yogurt cups, to show consumers how products have aged. The food packaging would use a color-coded scale to analyze the content of foods and would gradually change from green to red, allowing consumers to decide for themselves whether the product is still edible or not. This should prevent food waste related to the use of a "best before date" and the consequential misinterpretation of this term by consumers. Schmidt is confident that his Ministry will be in a position in a few months to bring the proposal at the EU level, launching a European initiative on how to make changes to expiration dates in the short-term and how to proceed with "smart" packaging in the long-term.
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