Hellmann’s collaborates with Google on AI tool that tackles food waste
Users can scan what they already have in their fridges for bespoke recipe ideas based on their contents.
To mark Food Waste Action Week, Hellmann’s has teamed up with Google Cloud for an AI campaign that will identify leftover food in people’s fridges and suggest recipe ideas to use them up.
Dubbed ‘Meal Reveal,’ the handy tool has been designed in response to the common issue of ‘fridge blindness’ – when a fridge is full of ingredients, but people aren’t able to see or imagine what meals to make.
The tool is being unveiled during Food Waste Action Week, which this year takes place between March 18 and 24.
“People never set out wanting to throw food away,” says Christina Bauer-Plank, Hellmann’s global vice-president. “Food waste is an unintended consequence of our busy lives, where we look in the fridge after a long day and see disparate ingredients but nothing to eat. We saw an opportunity here to create a straightforward, easy-to-use tool.”
Developed by Ogilvy, the push is part of the mayo brand’s ongoing ‘Make Taste, Not Waste’ campaign that launched back in 2021. The project begins in the UK before rolling out to other markets across social channels, YouTube placements and out-of-home activations.
Dan Fisher, global executive creative director of Unilever and special projects at Ogilvy UK, added: “Hellmann’s Meal Reveal inspires people to embrace their leftovers and make their food go further. Consumers have such good food intentions, but then life gets in the way. People just want to know how they can make simple but tasty meals from what’s sitting in their fridge but are unsure where to start. Meal Reveal is a straightforward and innovative tool that guarantees less food is wasted.”