Silo makes it easy to manage and track the freshness of your food. This guide explains how to use the My Silos inventory feature in the Silo app and how to understand the freshness status of your stored items.
Understanding Freshness with Silo
Freshness is a broad concept that includes several aspects of food quality such as safety for consumption, texture, taste, and aroma. Silo’s goal is to help you preserve and optimize these aspects while food is stored in vacuum containers.
Food quality can be subjective. Some people are more sensitive to changes in taste or texture, while others focus mainly on whether the food is still safe to eat. What one person considers fresh may not feel the same to someone else.
Many factors affecting freshness happen before food even reaches your home, including transportation conditions, storage environments, and shelf time.
Silo’s freshness guidance is designed as a helpful tool, but it should never replace personal judgment and common sense when deciding if food is safe to eat.
My Silos Inventory
The My Silos screen in the Silo app is the central hub for managing your vacuum-sealed containers and monitoring food freshness.
This screen provides a clear overview of all your Silo containers and allows you to quickly check the status of your stored food.
Container List
The container list displays all your Silo containers in a scrollable view with key information for each item.
- Food label (or 'Missing label' if no label was added)
- Weight of the food inside
- Shelf life estimate showing how long the item is expected to stay fresh
- In Silo counter showing how many days the food has been stored
Sort Options
- Days left (based on expiration)
- Date added (most recent first)
- Location (fridge, freezer, pantry, etc.)
These sorting options help you quickly prioritize which foods should be consumed first.
Freshness Status
Silo automatically calculates and updates the freshness status of your food based on estimated shelf life. These statuses are displayed using color-coded labels on container cards.
Fresh (Green)
Your food is in its optimal freshness state. Taste, texture, and smell are at their peak and the food is safe to consume within the recommended timeframe.
Freshness Loss (Yellow)
The food may still be safe to eat but there may be slight degradation in taste or texture. It’s recommended to consume the item soon.
Past Freshness (Red)
The freshness of the food is uncertain. Inspect the item carefully before consuming as signs of spoilage may appear.
Unknown (Grey)
The container was not properly labeled or information is missing. Without accurate data Silo cannot estimate shelf life reliably.
Freshness Notifications
Silo sends notifications when stored food requires attention. These alerts help you prioritize items that should be consumed soon.
Status Change Alerts
- Freshness loss – Care required (Yellow)
- Past freshness – Caution required (Red)
These notifications help you identify food that may need to be consumed soon or inspected before eating.
Manage Food Directly from Notifications
If you already consumed or discarded the food but didn’t update it in the app, notifications allow you to update its status quickly.
- Tap 'Already consumed' to mark the item as eaten
- Tap 'Thrown away' to remove the item from inventory
Customize Notifications
- Open the Silo app
- Go to the 'More' section
- Select 'Settings'
- Toggle Freshness and Expiration notifications
This allows you to control which alerts you receive so the system matches your personal food management preferences.