Already successfully working with a number of mainstream consumer products ranging from water filters and catering products to cosmetics, smart label innovator Timestrip is making its presence felt in the organic sector too. Timestrips® are attracting much interest from quality-conscious organic shoppers, as they realise the benefits of a device that keeps track of their food’s freshness.

We all know that the nutritional benefits of food diminish the longer we keep it. Once activated, Timestrip® labels provide a continuous reminder of the freshness (or lack of it) of your food. Using innovative technology, the labels accurately monitor the amount of time that has elapsed since a product was opened, providing a sort of visual ‘alarm clock’ for food freshness. With no preservatives to artificially prolong their life, organic products are particularly likely to benefit from the use of Timestrips®.

One organic devotee who has seen the popularity of Timestrips® at first hand is Steve Prime. His organic business – Wild & Free – based in Rugby, supplies customers between Birmingham and Milton Keynes who have been trialling the smart labels. “Our customers demand the highest standards of quality and freshness in their food,” he explains. “We can ensure that produce leaves us in top condition, but we don’t have any control over how the consumer stores it or how quickly they use it. At the end of the day, their final judgement on the quality of that produce will come when they consume it, so it’s in our interests as well as theirs to help ensure they are consuming it within a reasonable time. That’s where Timestrips® are invaluable – by using a Timestrip® label, the consumer is much more likely to use food within the period when it’s at its best.”

Growth in the organic and locally-produced sector has been huge over recent years as consumers become wiser to the realities of intensive farming and food miles, and ever more discerning about the quality of the produce they buy. Expansion of the smart labels market is forecast to be equally huge in the next few years, as brand owners investigate available technologies and reap the benefits for their businesses.

Timestrip plc floated on the UK Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2005 and works with a comprehensive range of clients across a wide range of industries.