Fresha

A handheld scanner that detects spoilage gases and bacteria to give instant food safety results — helping people identify what is still safe to eat, and cutting waste in the process.

Duration: 6 weeks
Year: 2026
Type: Product design
Scope: Device, interface, reward loop

Problem

Around a third of all food produced globally is wasted, consuming valuable resources and contributing up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers often lack clear information about whether food is still safe to eat, which leads to unnecessary waste.

9.52m tonnes

of food wasted in the UK every year.

£14bn

the estimated value of food UK households throw away each year.

Sketch development

Form & grip exploration

Storyboard

Scan → result → reward

When the user is unsure whether their leftovers are safe to eat, they scan them with Fresha for an instant result. A green light means the food is safe, rewards them with points, and prevents another unnecessary bin trip.

Reaching for leftovers in the fridge — 01 Leftovers

Unsure whether the food is safe — 02 Doubt

Reading the result on the device — 04 Result

Green light and points awarded — 05 Reward

Eating the food instead of binning it — 06 Eat

Fresha readouts: 48% uncertain, 97% safe, 14% contaminated

Three states

97%

Safe to eat. Green ring, points added, and the CO₂ the user avoided by not binning it.

48%

Uncertain. The database cannot verify the extent of contamination, so the device says so rather than guessing.

14%

Highly likely contaminated. Red ring, with composting suggested instead of the bin.

Device features

A one-handed body with a fold-out stand, a clear READY state, and a sensor head that sits close to the food without touching it. The result reads at a glance so the decision takes a second, not a sniff test.