Food that tells you when it's time to eat? Not as unlikely as you'd think...

In the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, there is reference made to the Ameglian Mega Cow, a ruminant specifically bred to not only have the desire to be eaten, but to be capable of saying so quite clearly and distinctly. This is, of course, very silly, and should not be taken seriously at all.

However, it seems that scientists are working on a computer chip that can be added to food to tell you when it is going past its prime. This was apparently news to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for water, forestry, rural affairs and resource management, Dan Rogerson, who was heard to muse, "Chips for chips.", when this was put to him by the Chair of the House of Lords European Union Sub-Committee D, to whom he was giving evidence yesterday.

Naturally, Ros, for it was her, is very knowledgeable on such things, having led the Committee through their inquiry into food waste. Apparently, this development was vouchsafed to the committee during their recent visit to the Netherlands, and it isn't expected to be long before such a thing becomes financially viable.

I'm intrigued by the idea that your food might, say, send you a text to suggest that you pick up a few items on the way home so as to make best use of it. At the moment, I have Ros to do that, but for the evenings when she's in London and I'm here in Suffolk, it might be quite useful...