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Aurora uses UV rays and vacuum packing to boost foods' fridge life

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The Aurora system is presently on Indiegogo
Uvera
The containers are dishwasher- and microwave-safe – the Aurora device identifies them via a QR code on each one
Uvera
The Aurora system is presently on Indiegogo
Uvera

It's always a shame when you buy fresh produce, only to have it spoil in the fridge before you can use it. The Aurora system is designed to keep that from happening, using a combination of ultraviolet light and vacuum packing.

Currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, Aurora is made by a startup called Uvera, which is in turn affiliated with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The system was recently the recipient of a CES Innovation Award.

Aurora consists of a main device, an assortment of transparent BPA-free food containers, and an app.

Users start by placing their fruit, vegetables, meat or fish in one of the containers, then putting that container in the device, closing the device's door, and pressing its start button. Google Assistant software running on the device then asks the user what's in the container, which they answer verbally (i.e: they say "broccoli").

The containers are dishwasher- and microwave-safe – the Aurora device identifies them via a QR code on each one
Uvera

Over the next 30 seconds, the device illuminates the container's contents with UV-C light, killing any bacteria present on the food's surface. The device also vacuum-seals the container but sucking all the air out of it via a port in the lid, plus it weighs the container. By subtracting the container's known empty weight from the total weigh, the device is able to determine the weight/amount of the produce.

From there, the user just takes the container out of the device, and sticks it in the fridge. According to Uvera, produce stored via the Aurora system will last anywhere from 25% to 218% longer (depending on the type and amount of produce) than if it were stored by conventional methods.

The app lets users check how much longer the food in a given container should be good for, plus the app will alert them if any of the stored produce is nearing its estimated expiration date.

Indiegogo pledges start at US$639, for a package that includes one Aurora device and six containers of two different sizes – the planned retail price is $989. Assuming everything goes according to plan, shipping should commence in July.

The system is demonstrated in the following video.

Sources: Indiegogo, Uvera

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4 comments
VicCherikoff
Wow. $1000 RRP plus the expensive replacement lamps when the time comes. A few questions would be how effectively are micro-organisms killed on fruits with non-smooth skins eg the blackberries in the picture? And will it also work as an antiseptic on our skin or apply it to our mucous membranes against bacterial infections or use it as a mouth wash to reduce dental caries and maintain gum health or can we use it on our pets for cuts, scrapes, infections of all sorts. Of course not. But then a $10 product based on culinary herbs and spices and that has won food innovation awards and is in use already does all this and more.

So tell me again why I should get more clutter for my kitchen countertop?
zort
A thousand bucks for a vacuum sealer that hits only the outer surface with a little uv-c? How much extra are the custom containers?
Think I'll just buy less and eat it faster.
TpPa
that looks like it should hold about a Kilo, keep that sent down & stack em high.
Now true story, if you are only going to seal it once, a vacuum sealer is great, but lets say you put your coffee beans in there, now you are sucking the air out of your beans - letting new air and moisture back in the beans every time you make coffee speeding up how fast your coffee beans go stale.
And ya a grand OUCH
1stClassOPP
How does one break the vacuum seal?