New mobile app helps choose healthy food
January 21st, 2012 - 12:44 am ICT by IANSSydney, Jan 20 (IANS) You can scan bar codes, see what’s in a food item and switch to a healthier choice in an instant, thanks to a new mobile application.
FoodSwitch, an Australian-first iPhone app, has been launched recently to help shoppers make healthier food choices and reduce high levels of fat, salt and sugar from their diets.
“FoodSwitch’s three-step approach marries the latest technology with cutting edge research,” said Bruce Neal, professor at The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney.
“Choosing a healthier diet has to be made easier, because good eating habits are one of the best and most cost-effective ways to prevent disease,” said Neal, who helped develop the application.
Heart disease, stroke and other diseases caused mostly by a poor diet are the biggest killers worldwide and by simply switching to a healthier alternative, shoppers could be reducing their risk of these illnesses.
The app makes recommendations based on the nutritional value of more than 20,000 packaged food products found in supermarkets and is underpinned by more than three years of research by experts from The George Institute.
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