News

Smart label specialist Timestrip has shifted its focus away from the food industry as firms aim to cut costs in the recession.

Timestrip chief executive Reuben Isbitsky told Packaging News that in difficult economic times food retailers were always "the first companies to back off from doing anything apart from cutting costs".

Instead, the UK-headquartered company is focusing on growth in the medical, cosmetic and consumables markets, which are proving more resilient to the downturn.

This week, cosmetics brand Cargo launched two of its lip gloss ranges with Timestrip technology in the cap of the product to let consumers know how long it has been open.

The company is now "fielding a lot of enquiries from that industry", according to Isbitsky.

Timestrip has also experienced significant growth in its medical device market, where Timestrips are used to monitor whether IVs in patients have exceeded the cut-off point of 72 hours.

Meanwhile, the company's latest product, DefrostWatch, can be used to show when a freezer has malfunctioned, whether the internal temperature has risen above zero Celsius, and how long food has been thawing.

According to the US public health agency FSIS, frozen food that thaws for more than two hours and then refreezes represents a significant health risk.

The US leader in personal and food safety systems Daymark Safety Systems has already placed an order for the DefrostWatch tags.