Time indicator for perishables

Poised for introduction in the United States, Timestrip pressure-sensitive tags function more like a clock than previous time-temperature indicators. Rather than an enzymatic or other reaction, they are based on the capillary action—or diffusion—of an easy-to-read colored indicator over time.

Poised for introduction in the United States, Timestrip pressure-sensitive tags function more like a clock than previous time-temperature indicators. Rather than an enzymatic or other reaction, they are based on the capillary action—or diffusion—of an easy-to-read colored indicator over time. The tags can be used on any perishable products or so-called nonperishable foods like retorted products that have a limited shelf life once opened. The tag would eliminate the guesswork of how long a jar of mayo, for example, which is shelf-stable until opened, has been left in the refrigerator. The user depresses a small reservoir that releases the liquid within the Timestrip and basically starts the clock as the red liquid diffuses across the chart, according to inventor and president Reuben Isbitsky. Tailored to the application, frozen or refrigerated, the indicator color (typically red) moves across a printed scale. The Timestrip indicator is available in other colors, such as for medical applications, Isbitsky says. Timestrips have been available for purchase directly by consumers in the United Kingdom since April 2004. A clamshell pack of 10 Timestrips sells for the equivalent of $1.85 in UK stores like Morrison’s. It is available in two-month frozen or seven-day refrigerated versions with a two-week refrigerated version set to launch, Isbitsky says, adding that the response has been very good. “Consumer are confused by use-by or freshness dating,” he points out. “This is clear to see.”