Housekeepa Help - Expiry Date Tracking
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Expiry Date Tracking

Admin Feature

Monitor and manage expired store cupboard items to reduce waste and maintain household food safety. Essential for caregivers managing multiple households.

Quick Start

  1. 1 Navigate to Inventory Management page
  2. 2 Filter by "Perishable Food" category
  3. 3 Review expired items highlighted in red

Key Features

  • Real-time expiry monitoring
  • Priority sorting by expiry date
  • Visual alerts and status badges
  • Admin-only management controls

Inventory Item Details

Each expired inventory item displays essential information to help caregivers quickly identify and manage expired items:

Item Name
The inventory item's name as captured via photo or manual entry (e.g., "Milk", "Yogurt", "Bread")
Storage Location
Specific household location (Fridge, Freezer, Cupboard, etc.) to help caregivers locate expired items quickly
Expiry Date
The date when the item expired, shown in red if more than 3 days past
Expiry Status Badge
A red "Expired" badge that provides immediate visual identification of items requiring attention

Management Actions

Available Actions

  • Remove items from list
  • Update item status

Important Notes

  • Admin permissions required
  • Actions cannot be undone

How Expiry Detection Works

The expired foods feature uses a smart detection system to help you manage food waste:

Daily Check

Every time you visit the Store Cupboard page, the system automatically compares each item's expiry date with today's date. Items that have passed their expiry date are immediately flagged.

Smart Filtering

The system only shows relevant items by filtering out:
• Finished or consumed items
• Ready meals (which have their own section)
• Items without an expiry date

Example Scenarios

Scenario: Weekly Inventory Check

1

You check your inventory every Sunday morning

Tip: Look at the Expired Foods section first to identify items that need immediate attention

2

You find expired yogurt in the list

Action: Click "Remove" to take it out of your inventory, or update its status to "finished" if consumed

3

You notice a pattern of expired items

Tip: Use this information to adjust your shopping habits and quantities

Scenario: Daily Quick Check

1

You're planning dinner and want to use items before they expire

Tip: The expired foods list is sorted by date, so you can prioritize the oldest items first

2

You use an expired but still good item

Action: Mark it as "finished" to remove it from the expired list

Troubleshooting

Item not appearing in expired list?
Check:
  • Is it marked as "finished"?
  • Is it categorized as "other" (not a ready meal)?
  • Does it have an expiry date set?
  • Is the expiry date correct (YYYY-MM-DD format)?
Item still showing after being marked as finished?

The list updates immediately when you mark an item as finished. If you still see it:

  • Refresh the page
  • Check if the status update was successful
  • Try removing and re-adding the item if needed
Need to update multiple items?

While there's no bulk update feature yet, you can quickly update items one by one:

  • Use the "Remove" link for each item
  • Items disappear from the list immediately after removal
  • No need to refresh between removals

Best Practices for Caregivers

Household Management Tips

• Perform weekly expiry checks across all household locations

• Use photo capture or upload to quickly document expiry dates when adding items

• Coordinate with family members to use items before they expire

• Track expiry patterns to optimize grocery shopping and reduce waste

• Focus on perishable food categories for most effective monitoring

• Mark items as finished immediately after consumption to maintain accuracy