Samsung’s AI Family Hub+ Reinvents How You Meal Plan, Shop, and Use Your Kitchen

With the rising cost of groceries and today’s food waste measuring equal to emissions from aviation and shipping combined, consumers and manufacturers alike look for ways to cut back on losses and work smarter. The advent and fast evolution of smart technology throughout our homes offer a unique solution through the use of creative applications.

A recent survey by Samsung helped the brand better understand how consumers intend to be more eco-conscious. Reducing food waste was a leading goal, with 66% indicating that they intend to get better at reducing their household food waste. Even with ingredients (even leftovers!) on hand, consumers report having a lack of motivation or not knowing what to cook, despite having a fully stocked fridge. And boy, is it stocked. As reported in the study, the top most wasted foods are:

• Vegetables (cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes) (44%)

• Fruits (apples, oranges, pears) (34%)

• Dairy (butter, yogurt, milk) (24%)

• Deli (cheese, ham, turkey) (20%)

• Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise) (14%)

Smart Appliances Can Inspire a Smarter Lifestyle

Everyday smart devices and appliances have the potential to inspire consumers to waste less, cook more, and shine their creativity to reduce food waste at home. To look deeper at ways smart technology can help you reduce food waste, we tapped experts in the field to explore popular integrations and systems that are making a big difference.

One of the biggest, most integrated systems is the new AI Family Hub+ in which the refrigerator has a feature that alerts consumers if food is about to expire. It can also suggest recipes based on what people currently have at home.

"Our new AI Family Hub™+ refrigerator has our advanced AI Vision Inside technology that uses a built-in AI camera to identify a variety of up to 33 food items and accurately keep track of what goes in and out," shares Mark Newton, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Samsung Electronics America. "This not only helps you stay organized by keeping a list of what you have on hand, right in the SmartThings app – but it also helps with meal planning by suggesting recipes that will allow you to use your in-stock ingredients before they go bad. The idea is that if you use more of what you have, you’ll cut down on wasted food and also end up saving some money, too."

This integrated technology can enhance your everyday routines. Many consumers already recognize how the use of smart home technology like Alexa frees up your hands and improves productivity. An Amazon spokesperson elaborated to demonstrate how syncing the fridge to your Amazon devices makes it easier to cook up some magic. "With your Echo device or the Alexa app, you can tell Alexa what ingredients you have in the refrigerator and then see matching recipes from trusted sources like AllRecipes and Food52. For example, simply ask, 'Alexa, find me a recipe with eggs, tomatoes, and bacon.' You can also set your food preferences in the mobile app to ensure recipe recommendations meet your family’s needs. Just ask 'Alexa, open food preferences.'" Amazon's spokesperson also noted that an Alexa-enabled refrigerator can support smart reorders and low supply notifications. Some refrigerators can even connect to your Amazon Your Essentials app, which allows you to easily look up and add items to your Amazon shopping cart.

Despite being wow-ed by the smart tech integrations, understanding how its AI technology works for a refrigerator was somewhat of a mystery to me, so I dug deeper. "Keeping tabs on your food with your Family Hub fridge is a quick and easy process. With commonly recognizable food items, like many fruits and veggies, there’s no effort required at all," explains Newton. "The refrigerator’s AI Vision Inside technology will automatically recognize and detect them as they are taken in and out and send you alerts to remind you what you have in stock, so you can use it before it goes bad."

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He elaborated to explain that for other specialty foods that aren't as easily identified by the AI, you can simply add or edit things in your Food List, right from the screen on the front of your Family Hub fridge, by using Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant or the SmartThings app on your phone. "You’ll get alerts about approaching food expiration dates, or you have the option to manually add your own [expiration dates]."

But wait, still more. The app's functionality actually goes beyond tracking your inventory and managing expiration dates. "The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator has a built-in View Inside AI camera that takes a photo of the fridge’s interior every time the doors close," he notes. "When you’re at the store or away from home, all you have to do is open up the SmartThings app on your phone and tap on the refrigerator icon, and you’ll be able to see the most recent picture of what’s inside. This is convenient when grocery shopping because you can actually see your items while not at home via the app, and avoid buying extra items you may already have on hand."

AI Family Hub+ Smart Fridge Features:

• SmartThings app-enabled

• Wi-Fi connectivity

• View inventory through the transparent panel without opening the door

• Instant access to recipes and videos

• Meal planner can recommend meals based on the food you already have

• Create and share shopping lists

• 12+ family features including digital photo and video galleries, whiteboard, timer, trivia, internet browsing, and the ability to stream music through its built-in speaker

• Integrates with other smart home tech including Alexa, indoor and outdoor security cameras, Ring smart doorbell, Bixby, Amazon Dash, and more.

• Available in a range of device models, from the Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex with white glass fridge panels, to the 3-Door French Door and traditional side-by-side designs.

Using AI to Design a Sustainable Future

The new AI Family Hub+ refrigerator is one of many products Samsung has prioritized to create tech innovation with sustainability top of mind.

"Sustainability is at the core of all we do. We try to educate consumers about things like the use of sustainable materials in our products and how to responsibly recycle them, so people can make eco-conscious choices," shares Newton. "One major impact area for us is energy efficiency – since 2009, our product efficiency improvements have helped our customers avoid over 350 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent carbon impact of taking over 77 million cars off the road for a year. This kind of progress is why we’re so committed to implementing innovative technologies across all our products that enable us to minimize our collective impact on the environment and create a better future for everyone."

"Our AI Family Hub+ fridge is ENERGY STAR® Certified, which means it is energy-efficient without compromising on performance. It also comes with our SmartThings AI Energy Mode setting, which can help you save money and use up to 10% less household energy by automatically optimizing its usage, monitoring your consumption and alerting you when you reach your monthly bill target. On top of that, the Family Hub refrigerator is also equipped with additional features designed to minimize food waste. Our Triple Cooling system uses three evaporators to enable precise temperature and humidity controls in all three zones, which helps your fresh food items stay fresher for longer. The fridge also has a Metal Duct that effectively retains cold air in the fridge, even while your fridge door is open."

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