A mobile phone app designed by Norwich students and aimed at reducing food waste went on sale this weekend as its creators showcased their work at a trade fair for young entrepreneurs.

Food Safe allows shoppers to scan the bar code of an item when they open it and set an alert to warn them the day before it needs to be thrown away. It was created by 14 Norwich School students, aged 16 and 17, as part of the Young Enterprise scheme which challenged them and others to start up a business and run it for a year.

Rob Youngs, managing director of Food Safe, said: 'The app was launched on Android Friday night and it will be on other platforms by next Friday. We are also in talks with major supermarkets like Tesco about doing a future collaboration.'

By Saturday, the group had already sold apps worth £70, and already has plans for add-ons and further developments.

The business has so far been funded thanks to £10,000 from software development company Astutech and equipment donated to the students.

The group's Young Enterprise mentor, Stephen Ferrey, of Moco Development, said he was proud of the students and what they had achieved.

In total, 12 businesses exhibited at Saturday's Young Enterprise trade fair at the Forum in Norwich. Organiser Patricia Hagan said: 'When you sell within your own school it's good experience but engaging with the general public is the real thing.'