Smart sensors could help Canada tackle its $58-billion food waste problem

Best-before dates are based on shelf-life tests under ideal storage conditions, but they do not reflect how food has actually been handled or stored, or its real-time freshness. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini Each year, Canada generates roughly $58 billion in avoidable food waste, much of which is from spoilage that goes undetected until it is already too late. With food prices rising by as much as 27 per cent over the last five years and supply chains under strain, Canada needs better ways to reduce this waste and safeguard the quality of perishable foods. New digital technologies offer…