Most grey nomads – particularly those who spend extended periods in the bush – are forever looking for ways to extend the life of fresh food.
A new company called Uvera has developed what it hopes will be an important piece of the ‘longer shelf-life for perishables’ jigsaw.
The company says that produce stored in its Aurora system will last anything from 25% to 218% as long as it would have if stored in a conventional way. The length of this extra freshness time will depend on the type of produce being stored, and how much of it there is.
The system includes the main device, various food containers, and an app that helps you keep track of how your produce is faring. It basically creates a sterilised anaerobic storage environment in containers using UV-C light and vacuum sealing.
he Aurora system monitors how fresh food is. PIC: Uveo
The shelf-life increase is attributed to the effect of the UV-C light in damaging the DNA of microorganisms and limiting microbial growth, while the vacuum sealing limits the oxygen level necessary for the metabolism and growth of microorganisms.
Uvera says the sensory characteristics of food – aroma, Page 9 texture, taste, and appearance – are not affected by the processes.
The device offers a way to keep food fresher longer. PIC: Uveo
And it’s pretty simple to use.
After downloading the app, users basically place the fresh food inside one of the containers, put the container in the device, and press the start button.
At that point the Google assistant software will ask what food is in the device and the user answers verbally by saying something like ‘carrots’ or ‘lettuce’. It will then take 30 seconds for the Aurora to ‘hit’ the contents with the bacteria-killing UV-C light, and vacuum seal the container by sucking all the air out.
It also calculates the weight of the produce that has been added. The user then places the container in the fridge or pantry, and can use the app on their phone to track the freshness of the produce.
The app will also alert users if any stored produce is coming perilously close to the end of its edible life.
For travellers out in the wilds for long periods of time, the relatively small size of the device may not offer enough storage space to make it worthwhile, but perhaps new variants will be developed in the future.
For most grey nomads though, it’s probably the price which will be the biggest deterrent. Although it is still in the development and fundraising stage, the planned retail price for the Aurora system is expected to be US$989.
Uvera hopes to begin shipping the system in July.
Are you a Grey Nomad member yet? Click here to find out about the discounts, competitions and other benefits on offer.
