Cape Town - Don't you just hate it when food goes bad, forcing you to toss it out before you've even had the chance to use it?
Well, a new mobile app, developed by a UCT Masters student, could change all that.
Maryjane Mokgethi's app - Bagzielicious - allows users to track the expiration dates of their perishables in a bid to avoid waste.
The app is in its final stages of development and is due to be launched early in 2018.
"The system is focused on developed countries in particular, where food waste is more prevalent," Mokgethi said. "The intention is to create awareness around food waste and to change consumer behavior. Some people are not conscious of food waste, and we hope to change this.
"Many people are socially conscious, but with busy schedules and modern life, their behavior and purchasing patterns lead to waste," she said.
Mokgethi and her team, Bridget Fundikwa and Wadzanani Nyabeze, recently returned from New York where the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit took place. The presented their solution to minimising food waste along the value chain through impacting consumer behaviour.
Theirs was the winning solution in a global competition.
"It was heart-warming to be acknowledged, and I will always hold on to that moment," she said.