Packaging changes color when food spoils – new invention could revolutionize the fight against food waste

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 26. 10:12

Three young Spanish people, Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno, have developed smart, biodegradable labels that change colour to indicate the freshness of food. The startup, Oscillum, monitors bacterial compounds released by food in real time and provides easy-to-understand feedback on whether the product is still safe to eat. The labels could not only help prevent food poisoning, but could also effectively reduce food waste – which currently amounts to 59 million tonnes per year in the European Union.

The development began with a memorable university experience when Pablo decided to eat a suspicious piece of meat – which others would have thrown away. This incident inspired the young people to develop a technology that clearly shows when a food has spoiled. The labels with biosensors can be used on meat, fish, vegetables and packaged foods, and even indicate the degree of ripeness of fruit. For retailers, this could be a new opportunity to optimize inventory management, while also providing greater security to customers.

Since its launch in 2019, Oscillum has been developing with the support of accelerator programs and innovation centers, and is currently working on active packaging solutions that extend the shelf life of food. Their development is not only environmentally friendly, but also socially beneficial: it helps fight hunger, promote responsible consumption and preserve health, especially in regions with weak food safety infrastructure.

594 thousand tons of food waste are generated in Hungary every year, of which 247 thousand tons are pure waste. According to Nébih data, this means 40 thousand forints worth of food thrown away per capita, and 380 billion forints of damage nationwide. Although Nébih’s No Leftovers program has already reduced waste by 22 percent in the past seven years, Oscillum’s development could be another important step towards more sustainable and conscious food use.