Household steak trial results: Bump Tag boosts trust in freshness

 

A huge amount of perfectly good food is thrown away because expiry dates are set for worst-case storage conditions. While designed to protect consumers, they are not reflective of how food is actually kept at home the vast majority of the time. We’ve designed a solution that helps brands and producers print longer dates without compromising on quality – but how would people feel about extending dates? We asked Sheffield Hallam University to set up a trial to find out.

left: A close-up of a hand holding a pack of steak with Bump Tag. Right: A close-up of multiple Bump Tags with “Feel for freshness” and “fresh until bumpy” printed on the tags.

This household trial explored the consumer acceptance of longer dates on chilled food when in conjunction with Bump Tags – temperature-sensitive labels on food packaging that turns from smooth to bumpy when food has actually spoiled, based on changing storage temperatures. It’s a solution we designed to help brands boost sales and reduce waste by extending shelf life, while enabling consumers to make smarter, more sustainable choices around food freshness.

A mock-up of organic beef steaks with a Bump Tag freshness label that reads “Feel for freshness” and “fresh until bumpy” alongside a use-by date, promoting both tactile and date-based freshness checks.

Rather than replacing expiry dates, Bump helps brands and producers safely print longer dates based on reasonable storage, with Bump warning if poor storage has shortened that time. Bump works in tandem with dates, and consumers follow whichever comes first – bumps or the date.

We partnered with ABP UK, one of the UK's leading beef & lamb processors, to run this trial of our Bump Tag on their steaks with 100 households*. This trial is a pivotal step as we apply our Bump Tag to meat for the first time, further expanding the range of foods Bump is compatible with. The study was conducted in collaboration with Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University, who also recruited all the participants in the trial.

Participants received two steaks: one with the usual use-by date and another with a Bump Tag and a use-by date extended by 4 days. They were asked to assess and decide whether to eat each of the steaks on the day of their use-by dates and then rate the level of their confidence in the freshness of each one.

The study also measured general understanding and usability of the Bump Tag, participants’ confidence and trust in it and the perceived benefits of adopting the Bump Tag for both meat producers and the general public.

Infographic showing that 98% were equally confident in steak freshness with a 4-day extended use-by date using the Bump Tag as they were with the current date.]

The key finding is significantly positive, showing that people trusted the Bump Tag and the new extended date in showing them an accurate freshness of their steak. With more time to eat their steak, participants saw the benefit of saving money due to reduced waste.

See the Bump Tag in Action

Results – what we discovered?

Benefits to consumers

Bump Tag proved to be a powerful source of reassurance and understanding:

Confidence in freshness
Feeling a smooth Bump Tag on the extended use-by date gave consumers just as much confidence in their steak (97.8%) as they had with a control steak without a Bump Tag (97.6%), despite the participants being aware it was 4 days older. In other words, the Bump Tag helped maintain the same level of trust in freshness, even though the date had been extended.

Clear, intuitive to use
97% of participants found the instructions easy to follow and understood how to use the Bump Tag correctly from the very first time. This high usability means fewer barriers to adoption and trust from the get-go.

Waste and cost reduction
People clearly saw the practical value of the Bump Tag:

  • 72% agreed it would help reduce food waste

  • 59% believed it would save them money

 
 

Benefits to brands and producers

Consumer enthusiasm for the Bump Tag translates into exciting commercial potential for meat producers such as ABP and their retailers.

Highlighting four key benefits for brands using the Bump Tag: high consumer demand (85%), competitive edge (46% would switch brands), increased sales (33% would buy more steaks), and strong word of mouth (78% would share with their community).

Consumer acceptance
85% of participants said they’d like to see Bump Tags on steak packaging in future – a strong signal that there’s a demand for having Bump Tags on pack.

Boosting sales by shaping purchasing behaviour

  • 46% would switch to a brand that uses Bump Tags

  • 33% said they would buy steak more often if it had a Bump Tag

Driving word of mouth
78% of people said they’d tell friends and family about the Bump Tag – demonstrating its potential to spark conversations and raise brand awareness organically.

For producers and retailers of fresh, perishable food, like meat and fish, Bump Tag presents an exciting opportunity to lead the way in tackling avoidable food waste while boosting sales, customer loyalty and brand differentiation. By giving consumers a simple, trusted tool to gauge freshness, brands can offer real value at home – helping people waste less, save more and shop with greater confidence. The insights from this trial show strong consumer demand, commercial potential and momentum for change.

So, why not become the next adopters of Bump to maximise your shelf life and reduce food waste?

Join the #MimicaMovement and be part of the shift towards a more sustainable – and commercially rewarding – future of food.

Register your interest! Request a pilot with us or join the waiting list to pre-order Bump Tag below!

*results presented are subject to data cleaning for quality and relevance

 
Ieva Hofmane