Samsung zeros in on food wastage and offers an innovative solution to reduce it

Kuala Lumpur, 2 November 2016 – Every day Malaysia disposes of 3,000 tonnes of preventable food waste, the largest contributor of solid waste and largest source of harmful greenhouse gases in the country. This amount makes up between 31 and 45 per cent of an average of 36,000 tonnes of garbage generated annually*. Beyond polluting our one and only Mother Earth, imagine the millions of hungry people we could have fed with that mountainous volume of food.

Food waste often results from buying too much through unplanned shopping, poor storage and not eating short shelf life items quickly enough. In many cases, the problem stems from the out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation. Surveys show that many consumers lose track of what food they have in their refrigerators, as it often gets lost in the disorganization. This problem is faced by people around the world and, while this staggering statistic is not going to change dramatically anytime soon, the problem is not being ignored. All over the globe, consumers are grappling every day with the dilemma, coming up with novel solutions like wrapping food in newspapers inside their refrigerator, or using special envelopes to ensure freshness.

Now there is no need for that as Samsung’s RT7000 refrigerator was designed for this in mind, to help consumers keep their food fresher for longer, and to make sure they always know what’s inside. With Twin Cooling Plus technology, it uses two separate evaporators to ensure optimal humidity levels in both the fridge and the freezer. This helps maintain food moisture and keeps the cooling even. An independent food freshness testing by Intertek shows that with 70% humidity levels, foods can stay fresh for twice as long. Some vegetable items, such lettuce and green beans saw marked differences in freshness after just a few days.

The RT7000 additionally uses Samsung’s Digital Inverter Technology. It turns on the cooling system to cool the fridge only when needed, rather than being on all the time, so as not to overcool and dry out foodstuffs. Overcooling can also be mitigated by features such as Power Cool and Power Freeze, which function to get foods to their optimal temperatures as quickly as possible. Its Smart Conversion technology gives consumers a 5-in-1 refrigerator so they can customize according to food storage needs. The five options (Regular, Energy Saving, Vacation, Fridge Max, Mini Fridge) are practical and give consumers full control over their refrigerator. It is a kitchen appliance that can adapt to their food – not the other way around.

The design and size of the RT7000 area also key factors that help keep foods fresher for longer. The overall size of the unit is roughly 30 litres larger than average refrigerators, giving more room for items like the Multiple Storage Baskets for separating specific foods. Keeping food separate enables varying temperature levels, which in turn enables the user to keep foods as precisely the temperature they need to stay fresh.

Food separation and easier organization of foods is also aided by the Anti Bacteria Protector. Studies have shown that bacteria can grow if a refrigerator is running at incorrect temperatures; and this can lead to bad tastes and smells, which can in turn affect other foods. This is particularly so if raw and cooked foods are kept together. Anti-Bacteria Protector cuts down on the potential for cross contamination with a fan and deodorizing filter that eliminates 99% of all bacterial activity and 93% of food smells.

Samsung’s RT7000 addresses consumers’ pain points on fast-drying produce, odour and bacteria, as well as inflexible storage methods that can help reduce food wastage. While we have smart kitchen appliances that assist us in household management, the onus still lies in us to consciously and actively ensure that we play our part in shopping and throwing away our food responsibly.

*Source: National Solid Waste Management Department and the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government