Hellman's Fights Food Waste with AI

People waste a lot of food because they don't know what to make with leftovers or forget about ingredients they already have. British households waste 4.7 million tons of food annually, or eight meals a week per household. This is a global problem with households wasting over one billion meals per day in 2024, according to a UN report.

Hellmann’s partnered with Publicis Sapient and Google Cloud to create Meal Reveal, an AI-enabled app that scans refrigerators and recommends recipes based on available ingredients. The brand aimed to align this initiative with its "Make Taste, Not Waste" mission, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and resonating with consumers who increasingly prioritize eco-conscious practices.

Meal Reveal has helped millions of people reduce food waste and save money, while also enhancing customer engagement and brand loyalty for Hellmann's. The concept supports U.K. households in saving the average £780 that is typically lost annually due to food waste.

To compete with new food and beverage startups and direct-to-consumer companies, Hellmann’s, a Unilever brand, needed a new approach to connect with consumers. Hellmann’s recognized the widespread problem of "fridge blindness," a situation where individuals struggle to envision meals from the ingredients they already have. This problem contributes significantly to food waste, a pressing global and economic concern.

As people search for ways to cut back on spending, the need for creative solutions that make the most of what they already have is more urgent than ever. Hellmann's sought a solution to empower consumers, enabling them to utilize existing ingredients effectively and minimize waste.

Hellmann’s partnered with UniOps, Publicis Sapient and Google Cloud to develop Meal Reveal, an AI-enabled app that utilizes cutting-edge technology to combat food waste. Recognizing that modern consumers expect convenient solutions, the development team prioritized user experience. Users simply scan the contents of their refrigerator using their smartphone camera, capturing video or uploading images to the Meal Reveal app.

The app leverages the power of Google's Gemini Vision technology to accurately identify ingredients within the refrigerator. This advanced image recognition technology can process various refrigerator types and layouts, ranging from meticulously organized to cluttered spaces. To ensure accuracy, the technology was trained on diverse fridge images sourced internally and from third-party vendors, accounting for variations in organization, ingredient placement and regional differences in food items.

Once the ingredients are scanned, an AI recommendation engine built and implemented by Google Cloud Premier Partner, Publicis Sapient takes over. Leveraging Google's Vertex AI platform, the engine analyzes the scanned ingredients, user preferences and dietary restrictions to suggest personalized, relevant recipes. This intelligent system helps people discover meal options using existing ingredients, reducing waste and inspiring culinary creativity.

Unilever, Google Cloud and Publicis Sapient worked in close collaboration to bring Meal Reveal to market at speed. Building on prior ideation dating back to 2022, the team ran parallel testing streams to accelerate delivery, launching the app in just 10–12 weeks from kickoff in December 2023/January 2024.

The launch was strategically timed with Food Waste Action Week in March 2024, maximizing visibility and media attention at a moment of heightened public awareness. Combined with an intuitive, easy-to-use experience, this momentum drove rapid adoption and strong engagement—reinforced by highly positive user feedback.

The impact was immediate and measurable:

• 16 million households reached: The concept reached 16 million households across the U.K.
• 200 million people inspired globally: Meal Reveal generated more than 200 million global media impressions.
• High user satisfaction: 80 percent of users reported success overcoming “fridge blindness,” and 63 percent preferred their top-matched recipes.
• Up to £780 saved annually per household: By reducing food waste, families can save an average of £780 each year.
  
  Together, these results demonstrate how Hellmann’s turned AI into a powerful driver of sustainability, consumer value and brand engagement—transforming food waste from a global problem into a practical, everyday solution.