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"FoodSwitch's three step approach marries the latest technology with cutting edge research. Australians can now scan barcodes, see what's in a food, and switch to a healthier choice in an instant," Professor Bruce Neal, senior director at The George Institute, said.
Bupa's head of clinical advisory, Dr Stan Goldstein, said "FoodSwitch comes at a pivotal time in the food labelling debate, with the Federal Government still considering changes towards food labelling systems for Australia."
"While the food labelling debate is ongoing, this app uses the best available science to deliver immediate, easy-to-understand nutritional information so users can switch to healthier options now," he explained. FoodSwitch uses the 'traffic light' presentation for fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and energy (kilojoules).
Some early users report the scanning capability is far from perfect, experiencing either failures to scan the barcode in the first place, or the app's inability to match barcodes with products, even from some big-name brands.
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One potential problem is that the user can be left with the choice between (say) less salt or more kilojoules. For example, the suggested alternatives to a certain brand of chick peas includes a product providing 65 more kilojoules per 100g, but 0.1g less salt.
The free app also includes Facebook, Twitter and email integration, and products can be added to lists for later reference.
In November 2011, Bupa released BrainyApp, an app designed to improve brain health.
