can delicious library handle food items?

I think I may have solved your half-functional problem, and if so, please, please incorporate foodstuff functionality.

Why don't you use the camera in the same way you do for barcodes, but instead use grocery receipts? The date can be manually selected when you're done scanning the receipt, but all the program has to do is read the list of products bought. For most basic items, generic images could be easily supplied of eggs, chicken, etc. Any missing images could be added by the customer, especially via quick photos from customer's iphones.

Here's the other cool part though, you could incorporate expiration dates and link them into calender alerts the same way you linked in rentals. That way (especially with your new iphone app) customers can check what they have in the pantry, and delicious library will automatically gray out items which have expired. A separate shelf can also contain a library of past purchases to help give customers ideas of what to purchase when they can't think of what they want (there could even be a 'add to this weeks shopping list' button). It could also save photos so that no customer would ever have to take a photo of the same item twice.

When the receipt imports, It would import as a list (perhaps in a reciept-like window floating above the main window for editing). Any items which are unclear from the receipt can be clarified or renamed by the customer, and that renaming will be remembered (this is especially non-cumbersome as most of the food items people buy they buy frequently). Then next to each item there would also be an expiration date button and users could use a pop-up calender to quickly select the date.

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I don't know if you can do all that, as I know its an extra feature, but as you said, it has been requested often, and you'd reach a whole new customer base. It would be incredible to have your entire pantry in your hand while you're at the store trying to remember what to get. Again, if there's any chance you could do this please, please do.

I have been buying a lot of bulk food from Amazon. They have really increased their grocery section and I now only buy produce and meat locally. I would love to have groceries inventoried, especially to mark the location where they are stored. I keep a small amount of something in my pantry but the rest of the bulk in the basement.