Can lighting extend the shelf life of cheese? A few days ago, Signify said that the use of specially designed "light formula" supermarket lighting can extend the shelf life of cheese by 50%.
The right light slows down the breakdown of compounds such as sugars, vitamins and proteins, extending the life of the food and maintaining color.
Accordingly, Signify adjusted the spectrum and intensity of the light to slow the discoloration of the meat and the oxidation of the cheese.
Unlike lamps that simply make the color of the product look more attractive (such as the red "meat light" that is widely used in supermarkets and slaughterhouses), the light formula of Signify actually helps protect the product itself. These products are used in many European countries and are used in supermarket chains including Plus, Edeka and Real.
In addition to increasing the shelf life of cheese by 50%, Signify's light formula can also increase the shelf life of sliced meat by 20%.
Although the disintegration of the meat piece due to lighting does not have any health or health problems, it will cause the customer to dispel the idea of purchasing the product, which means that more unsold food will be produced. To make matters worse, fresh food areas are often the main reason why customers choose a particular supermarket, and discolored meat reduces customer loyalty.
"We can adjust two main parameters: spectrum and light intensity," said Simone Poort, an application scientist at the Signify R&D team.
“This combination produces the best light formula. For sliced meat, the problem is discoloration. Sometimes in the store, if you see the top package discolored, you will choose the package below.”