We conducted an experiment involving seven packs of chicken, stored at typical consumer refrigerator temperatures (8°C/46°F), to measure and analyze spoilage over time. Our findings suggest that extending the use-by date by one day beyond the current standard can potentially decrease waste in retail stores by 25%. This adjustment could lead to an annual saving of $17 million for the largest retailer in the U.S.

We procured seven packs of chicken from a local supermarket and repackaged them using a sensor-equipped modified atmosphere packaging (30% CO₂, 70% O₂). These packages were stored at 8°C / 46°F, mimicking worst-case scenario conditions in consumer fridges. Our sensors continuously monitored spoilage gases and temperatures throughout the product’s shelf life. The data was displayed on our cloud-based web application. BlakBear’s machine learning algorithms translated these sensor readings into microbiological counts (total plate count, cfu/g), termed “digital micro”. The end of the shelf life was determined when the digital micro reached 1×10⁷ cfu/g, a commonly recognized international spoilage threshold for fresh proteins. Accordingly, our measured use-by date is one day before reaching this spoilage limit.

Our study confirmed that the chicken’s shelf life could be extended by one day, in worst-case conditions, without compromising food quality. While seemingly minor, a one-day extension in shelf life could reduce food waste in retail stores by 25%, for example by increasing potential sales time from five to six days. For the top retailer in the United States and the United Kingdom, this change represents potential savings of $16.8 million and £6.8 million, respectively, in reduced chicken waste.

Furthermore, nationally, extending the use-by date for chicken by just one day could lead to waste reductions valued at approximately £109 million in the UK and $830 million in the US.