USDA has released an update to its FoodKeeper mobile application building on the app’s food safety features to help eliminate food waste in the US. The app was also updated to allow Spanish and Portuguese-speaking users the ability to navigate the program in their own language. The next planned update, coming in September, will allow the app to alert users of food recalls and include instructional videos on proper handling and storage of food.

The update includes a new setting offering language options and the ability to display temperatures, weights and measures in imperial or metric units. In addition, the app now better syncs with smartphone and tablet calendars to improve its push notification function, which notifies users when food may be approaching spoilage.

"The FoodKeeper app is a very handy and easy tool to use, and it reflects USDA's commitment to provide consumers with information and knowledge so they can make informed decisions,” says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This app empowers people to help meet our nation's food waste reduction goals, and it also links to our virtual food safety resources that answer common questions about how to safely handle, prepare and store foods. Adding food recall alerts to the app's capabilities makes the FoodKeeper a top-notch tool for consumer engagement and protection.”

The FoodKeeper app was developed by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in partnership with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute, as a tool to help reduce food waste by sharing storage methods that extend the shelf life of the foods and beverages in American homes.

The FoodKeeper app can accessed at FoodSafety.gov/FoodKeeper.