Americans can now receive recall announcements to their mobile phones

RECALL: Users can chose whether to get immediate, daily or weekly updates

FoodKeeper was the USDA’s answer to the problem of food waste. By educating users about use by dates of popular and perishable items, its launch in 2015 was intended to put a dent in the $160 billion dollars worth of food wasted in the US every year.

Now, the app has been updated. Users can chose whether they would like to receive alerts when recalls are announced by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the update posted to the Google Play and iTunes stores, users can select to receive information on food safety recalls immediately when they’re announced or select to receive them daily or weekly. The update also adds instructional videos on proper handling and storage of food, and expands the list of food and beverage products from about 400 to more than 500 items.

“This is a great way for the public to stay informed when food is recalled,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Carmen Rottenberg. “The FoodKeeper app is a very handy and easy to use tool; and it reflects USDA’s commitment to provide the public with information and knowledge to help them make informed decisions.”

“These updates to the FoodKeeper are just one more example of FSIS’ commitment to reducing the rates of food-born illness nationally,” said Rottenberg. “We want to make sure the valuable recall information FSIS and FDA publish is available to as many Americans as possible. With the expansion of products covered in the apps database, this app is helpful to any type of consumer, and I encourage anyone who hasn’t already done so, to download and begin using the FoodKeeper app.”

The FoodKeeper app was developed by FSIS in partnership with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute. It now offers specific storage timelines for the refrigerator, freezer and pantry, for more than 500 products, including various types of baby food, dairy products and eggs, meat, poultry, produce, seafood and more. Since it was launched in April 2015, it has been downloaded nearly 150,000 times.