In Canada, 11 million tonnes of food, or 20 percent of what is produced, becomes avoidable food loss. Johan Arcos-Mendez saw the waste firsthand and decided to address it.
Arcos-Mendez founded InVerte, which equips food insert containers with a scale and a sensor to assist with portion control. The scale measures how much of an ingredient has been used, and the sensor includes a light that flashes green or red depending on whether the correct portion size was used. He describes it as “an intuitive traffic lighthouse” to keep kitchen staff on track.
InVerte also includes a software application that allows restaurant owners to access data analysis such as the number of portions served or employee performance. Arcos-Mendez refers to this as “intelligent portioning.”
When Did You Realize This Was a Problem That You Wanted to Solve?
When I moved to Canada and was living in my university’s dormitory residences, I witnessed an unprecedented amount of food waste. As an Ecuadorian, I was appalled by the attitude toward food, especially in buffet settings.
It was eye-opening to see how people would take large amounts of food, only for most of it to go to waste. That moment made me realize this was a major issue, and I knew I had to leverage my technical background to create a solution.
Can You Explain How You Used AI to Help Solve This Problem?
We use deep learning to monitor time series, which are sequences of numbers indexed over time. Each data point is assigned a timestamp, allowing us to track patterns.
Our AI model detects outliers in these sequences. For example, if the scale generates a nonsensical value, the system recognizes it and automatically triggers an action to correct the issue rather than relying on manual intervention.
This automation improves efficiency and reduces the need for constant oversight.
How Do Businesses and Customers Benefit From Using Your Service?
Early adopters benefit by increasing consistency and reducing food costs. Poor portioning and waste at line stations often lead to higher expenses.
For restaurant operators managing multiple line cooks, inconsistent portion sizes can negatively impact the customer experience. When customers receive too much or too little, it affects trust and brand loyalty.
By maintaining consistency, restaurants can improve profitability while delivering a more reliable experience to customers.
What Are the Consequences of Unequal or Inconsistent Portion Sizes?
Our technology helps address the industry’s high turnover rate. During periods of staff turnover, portion inconsistency increases significantly.
As a result, customers begin to lose trust in the brand and seek more consistent alternatives. Brands like McDonald’s succeed because they have mastered consistency and operate with precision similar to an assembly line.
What Other Innovations Can You Foresee InVerte Getting Involved In?
Our precision portion scales already support portion control, but the next step is tracking multiple food inserts across an entire kitchen line.
This will allow us to provide smart recipe guidance, helping staff assemble orders more efficiently and reducing training costs. The system will guide employees on which ingredients to use and in what order.
One major contributor to food waste is incorrect orders, which often have to be discarded. Our goal is to eliminate these errors through automation.
Looking ahead, we aim to allow diners to customize portion sizes and introduce intelligent billing based on weight rather than fixed pricing.
This approach also supports dietary goals and reduces waste caused by uneaten food, giving customers more control over what they consume and pay for.
Marcus Medford | Contributing Writer
