Chances are you’ve never encountered Samsung Food, an app-based service available on the company’s smart fridges. That hardware doesn’t come to this side of the planet but the updated version of the app just might.

Instead of running on a fridge, this newly AI-upgraded service will also operate on a smartphone. Samsung showed off the new features at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin, a year after it originally launched at the German event.

Samsung Food for thought

The app was previously dedicated to making food lists, planning meals, and otherwise ~~supplying Samsung with product creation data~~ using a Samsung appliance to live in a healthier manner. Those features are sticking around, of course. There’s just some new stuff too.

But it’ll take more than just a Samsung smartphone before you can reap any benefits of these smarter updates. See, they form part of Samsung Food+, a subscription service that’ll cost you R125/m ($7/m) or R1,100/yr ($60/yr). For your money, you’ll get access to Vision AI. This allows users to take a photograph of some food and have it a) recognised and b) added to a shopping list. Much easier than writing things down.

Bespoke fridges, which feature an internal camera, that is connected to the app can also automatically add items to a user’s Food List as it leaves the fridge on its way to be masticated. Purchased food will trigger automatic recipe searches, based on the contents of the basket, while you’re still at the store or waiting for Checkers to turn up.

There’s more subscription-gated AI customisation available from the app but it may be worth sticking to just plain old Samsung Food for now. If it proves really useful, it might be worth giving the company some extra money each month.

Samsung executive Moohyung Lee said, “Moving forward, with a key focus on user experiences, we will continually enhance the platform with AI and other technologies to support the preparation of meals that are easier, simpler and healthier.”