Prepare for emergency situations with private food supplies
Kira Zabe
March 17, 2021
Some people store food at home to prepare before a possible emergency situation.
An emergency supply? That's not necessary! I have a supermarket around the corner!
In our modern world, a reliable supply of food, drinking water and medicines is always guaranteed! What should I prepare for?
Despite sophisticated modern systems, people still find themselves in emergency situations caused by natural disasters. In the news, you can occasionally see pictures of floods and flooded cellars. Soon it is impossible to go to the supermarket and you have to help yourself or your neighbors at home.
Other dangers are earthquakes with collapsing houses, storms with fallen trees and blocked access roads. Snow-covered villages in the mountains or simply blocked roads by snowdrifts.
People living in affected regions are well advised to make provisions for emergencies - by storing the most important items for everyday life, food, water and medicines at home.
What to do in case of a power failure?
At the same time, over the past centuries we as human beings have become accustomed to a constant availability of food from the supermarket, hot water from the tap and light at the touch of a button. A power failure lasting several hours can upset this balance very quickly!
The first thing to fail are the supermarket cooling systems, as they consume a lot of electricity. The cash register systems also stop working. Maybe the supermarket still sells food for cash - if you have any. Unfortunately, the card payment only works with electricity, so that's it. In the worst case the supermarket is empty after a few hours due to panic and hamster purchases. The trucks that fill up the shelves every day also stop running…
You can imagine that such a situation can quickly become unpleasant!
Better prepare for unforeseen events, instead of worrying when it is to late!
With the Prepper App you get a proven method for crisis prevention: Through private provision at home with food, drinks and medication.
The federal government recommends that food be kept in stock for 10 days. With these food stocks you and your family are already quite well prepared for an emergency - even larger stocks are of course even better!
"Prepping" comes from "to prepare", and is not to be mistaken for panic buying. Finally, it is not about buying until the supermarket shelves are empty, but about carefully choosing and stocking supplies. Like your grandparents did in good old times. Therefore we do not see Prepper as a negative loaded word - but we called our app even Prepper App before 2019. In the mean time, because of added features, we changed the name to Pantry Chief.
How does the Prepper App help with your preparation?
With our app you get a tool that allows you to easily record what food you have at home. And this by means of a barcode scanner. You can also organize the food in storage locations. You always have an overview of expiring or expired food and can exchange it in time. This is a very useful feature especially for large stocks!
Furthermore Pantry Chief supports you with a balanced diet. Sufficient carbohydrates in the form of pasta are certainly a first step, but without a certain amount of protein and fat this would be a rather unhealthy diet.
As the last and most important factor, the Pantry Chief determines how long your supplies will last! For this purpose, you can enter the body measurements for each household member, which are used to determine the individual calorie requirement. Alternatively, you can also enter your own value for the calorie requirement. Now the energy content of all food in your stock will be compared with the energy requirements of your household. This determines the number of days the stock lasts. The same is calculated for the liquid and water requirements.
Suppose you want to provide for your family for ten days, as recommended by the federal government. If, for example, your provisions only last nine days, as shown in the picture, you can see exactly what other products you should buy to reach your goal in the nutritional statistics below: A well-balanced stock that will keep for a long time and provide security for a certain time! By the way, the example picture does not contain any fat and protein-containing food - the stock is otherwise too rich in carbohydrates.
Sign up for the app for free today!
More clarity when shopping: How Open Food Facts and the Smantry app make nutrition transparent
Many foods look healthy at first glance – but what's really inside them? Are the nutritional values balanced? How processed is a product? And what impact does it have on our environment?
This is exactly where the Smantry-App comes in: It uses the globally open database Open Food Facts, to give you immediate clarity when scanning your items. But what's actually behind the colorful labels like Nutri-Score, NOVA or Eco-Score, that you encounter in the app?
Let's take a closer look at the background.
Open Food Facts: From the Idea to a Global Database
The journey began in 2012 with the founding of Open Food Facts – a non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and makes food information freely accessible worldwide. The goal from the beginning was to provide consumers with scientifically substantiated information.
What started as a small project has now become a global platform with millions of products. And it is precisely this data that the Smantry-App uses to give you a clear overview directly on your smartphone.
An overview of the most important scores
1. Nutri-Score – how healthy is my product?
Since 2016, the Nutri-Score has been legally established in France – and it has quickly spread throughout Europe.
- A (green) means: very balanced.
- E (red) means: unbalanced, enjoy in moderation.
The rating is based on calories, sugar, salt, saturated fats – but also on positive factors such as fiber, protein, and the proportion of vegetables.
👉 So in the Smantry app, you can see at a glance whether a food item fits into your everyday life – or perhaps should be on the table less often.
2. NOVA-Score – how processed is it?
Not only the ingredients, but also the degree of processing plays a significant role for health. This is exactly what the NOVA-Score (integrated into Open Food Facts since 2018) shows you:
- 1 = unprocessed or minimally processed (e.g., fresh fruit, plain yogurt)
- 2 = ingredients such as vegetable oils, sugar, flour
- 3 = processed foods (e.g., bread, cheese, canned goods)
- 4 = highly processed products ("Ultra-Processed Food"), often with additives, flavors, and industrial processes
👉 With the Smantry app, you can instantly tell if a product is still 'close to nature' – or if it falls into the category of being highly processed.
3. Eco-Score (soon to be Green-Score) – how sustainable is my shopping?
Since 2019, Open Food Facts also includes an environmental assessment: the Eco-Score. It takes into account, among other things:
- CO₂ emissions from production and transportation,
- Packaging and recyclability,
- Origin and seasonal factors.
The rating is – similar to the Nutri-Score – from A (very eco-friendly) to E (less sustainable).
By 2025, this will become the Green-Score, which will take into account even more detailed data and thus provide you with even better guidance for sustainable consumption.
👉 For you in the Smantry app, this means: You can see not only whether a food is healthy for you, but also whether it is good for our planet.
What this means for you as a Smantry user
Currently, you can scan your products in the Smantry-App and view many details. The scores themselves are not yet integrated – but the integration is planned.
This means: Soon you will be able to see not only the nutritional values of a product but also how healthy, processed, or sustainable it is – all directly in your app.
Conclusion: Your Smart Nutrition Compass
The colorful labels are much more than pretty symbols. They are your quick compass in everyday life – whether you want to shop with health consciousness, reduce highly processed products, or pay attention to the environment.
With the Smantry-App you already have strong support for more transparency while shopping. And with the planned integration of the scores, it will become even more valuable – your smart nutritional compass for the future.
Cooking with the Future: Augmented Reality and Smart Interfaces for Your Recipes
That’s exactly what augmented reality (AR) and smart interfaces bring to the table. They project digital information where you need it most: into your cooking environment. This makes it easier to stay organized, cook more efficiently, and even reduce waste – because less stress in the kitchen often means fewer forgotten or spoiled ingredients.
And here’s where Smantry comes in. The app already helps you keep track of your pantry, avoid food waste, and stay in control of your kitchen. With upcoming features like leftover-based recipe suggestions, you’re already stepping into the smart kitchen future today.
👉 Bottom line: The kitchen of tomorrow is here – and it’s efficient, sustainable, and surprisingly fun.
The best kitchen tools to turn leftovers into delicious dishes 🍲✨
Hand on heart: Each of us has them – those little leftovers in the fridge or pantry that somehow never get properly planned for. But it's exactly these remnants that can often be turned into the most creative and delicious dishes! All you need are a few clever kitchen tools that make the work easier and get the best out of your ingredients.
Here are our favorites:
🥣 1. The powerful blender
Smoothies, soups, dips – a good blender transforms leftover vegetables, fruit, or even bread into a new dish in seconds. Perfect when bananas are a bit brown or the vegetables no longer look crisp.
🔪 2. A sharp chef's knife
Sounds simple, but a really good knife is worth its weight in gold. It allows you to cut vegetable and meat scraps precisely and quickly. Moreover, cooking is just more fun when you have the right tools.
🍳 3. A cast iron skillet
The all-rounder in the kitchen: fried potatoes made from leftover boiled potatoes, frittatas with yesterday's vegetables, or crispy bread cubes from stale bread – everything tastes twice as good in a cast-iron skillet.
🥕 4. Vegetable Peeler & Grater
A modest tool with a big impact: grate carrot leftovers, turn zucchini into noodles, or finely shred cheese remnants. With a peeler and grater, you bring variety to your leftover cooking.
🥡 5. Storage Containers & Screw-top Jars
Without proper storage, nothing works. You can keep leftovers fresh, transport them, or even prepare them for the next meal prepping. Tip: Jars are also great for serving small amounts in style.
🌱 6. Kitchen Scale
It's practical to know exactly how much is left over, especially with leftovers. This way, you can adjust recipes and avoid waste.
🥄 7. Personal Blender
The little brother of the blender – perfect for soups or sauces right in the pot. When only a small amount needs to be processed, it's super convenient.
How Smantry additionally helps you 📲
With the Smantry App you can not only keep an eye on your supplies, but soon you'll also be able to discover recipes for your leftovers. This way, you'll immediately know which tool to take out of the cupboard to save your food and create something new.
👉 Because good tools and the right app are the perfect combo to combat food waste.
New laws on food waste in Spain
Spain has recently passed a groundbreaking law to combat food waste. This law requires all actors in the food chain, from producers to retailers, to implement specific plans to prevent food loss.
Key provisions of the law:
Obligation to donate surplus food: Supermarkets with a floor space of more than 1,300 square meters are now required to form partnerships with non-profit organizations to donate surplus food that is still fit for consumption. These donations are exempt from value-added tax.
Offer of packaging for leftover food: Restaurants and bars are required to provide their guests with free, reusable or recyclable packaging so that they can take home uneaten food. The aim is to raise consumer awareness of food waste and encourage them to take leftovers with them.
Promotion of the sale of products with approaching expiration dates: Retailers should offer products that are nearing their expiration date or have aesthetic defects at reduced prices to encourage their sale and reduce waste.
Hierarchy of priorities for dealing with surplus food: The law establishes an order for handling surplus food. Priority is given to human consumption through donations. If this is not possible, the food should be used for the production of processed products. The last options include using it as animal feed or for energy generation.
Sanctions for violations:
Companies that violate the provisions of the law can expect fines ranging from 2,000 to 500,000 euros.
Critique and Outlook:
While the law is considered an important step in the fight against food waste in Europe, there is also criticism. Some voices argue that the strict framework of sanctions could disproportionately burden companies and that the law does not sufficiently address the role of consumers, who are responsible for a significant portion of food waste.
Nevertheless, the law is seen as a significant advancement in reducing food waste and promoting a more sustainable awareness in society.
Join in and reduce food waste! 🌱📲
Spain's new law demonstrates: Sustainability starts in the pantry! With the Speisekammer App you can keep track of your groceries, plan meals efficiently, and avoid unnecessary waste.
👉 Download the app now and join the movement for less waste and more conscious consumption! 💚 Try it now!