Open Source @lemmy.ml Binzy_Boi @supermeter.social 6 mo. ago

Open Source apps to monitor the best-before dates of foods?

Hey all, I'm trying to be a little more economical and reduce the amount of food I waste, and was wondering if there were any open-source apps that can track the best-before dates of the foods I buy so I can improve my meal-planning.

I saw that there's Best-Before on F-Droid, but the last release was in July 2022, and I was curious if there was something more actively maintained.

21 comments

https://grocy.info/
- -1
  
  I have used this before, but I stopped using it. It's complicated while simultaneously also missing features.
I feel like this could easily be solved with a spreadsheet.
- Not if you have ADHD, the barrier to success needs to be really low.
  
  Like a pencil
This popped up on my F-Droid homescreen:

Food Expirations (Remember all the expiration dates of your food stocks.)
- Not sure why, but it's not appearing either in the app or on a desktop browser for me. The link you provided leads to a 404.
  
  On mine it's only available from the Izzy repo, not the main fdroid one.
  
  Edit: Here's the source code. Try with either Izzy or Obtainium to install.
  
  Oppsie, F-Droid doesn't link properly to the IzzyOnDroid repo apps
  
  Try this instead
  
  Yeah link is dead, but you can find the app on f-droid
  
  Not sure if these are reputable sources so make your own judgement on that but Google returns these two places when searching for the App identifier in the URL above
  
  https://appteka.store/app/4e8r156105
  
  https://www.openapk.net/food-expirations/com.lorenzovainigli.foodexpirationdates.foss/
You can still eat it after the 'best before' date. It might not be best, but it doesn't immediately turn into poison.
- I'm aware, just figured it would be a good idea to prioritize those things first, and also use the information I gain to figure out how arbitrary the dates given are.
  
  For example, while logging my spice cabinet just now with the Food Expirations app, I saw that there were a few that were past due that I'm going to look into with how much longer they'd be good for.
  
  They're good for as long as they pass the sniff test
For me personally, I have a dry-erase board on my fridge and will note expiry/bb dates for items that are only fresh for a short time (i.e. the bread or almond milk I make). That way, everyone in my home can see it.

Pretty much all other food items like spices, flour, pantry ingredients, and frozen food are stocked in quantities that I would be able to use well before they "expire" (or diminish in quality). Some of these foods are fresh for years, so it doesn't really worry me that they'll go bad or anything.

Unless you've got a warehouse of food with moderate shelf life, I think there might be an easier way to do things without using an app, which I find just overcomplicates things. But even a simple spreadsheet, as already suggested, might be an easy option. Just my 2 cents.
Is there anything missing from Best-Before? It may just be finished. There is no mention of anything obvious (such as a dependency on an API) that would cause it to stop working.
Just searched on f-droid: Best-Before (App for monitoring the best-before date of products) https://f-droid.org/packages/de.beocode.bestbefore/

But you may also use any deadline tracking app.

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