Reviews

Reviewer: Blood Pressure UK (Blood Pressure Association), UK
Review: “Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), along with other UK researchers, have launched a new free and impartial smartphone app that will allow you to scan in your favourite food-and-drink products, and see their nutritional values, plus healthier alternatives. The app provides ‘at a glance’ colour-coded nutrition information for over 80,000 products. Allows customers to switch to healthier products based on established nutrition criteria. Developed by leading health experts, and supported by 13 organisations, ‘FoodSwitch’ allows users to scan the barcode of over 80,000 packaged food and drinks sold across major UK supermarkets using their smartphone camera to receive immediate, easy to understand, ‘traffic-light’ colour-coded nutritional information, along with suggested similar, healthier products. It is now easier than ever for consumers to reduce high levels of fat, salt and sugar in their families’ diet. When the barcode of a food or drink product is scanned by a smartphone, ‘FoodSwitch’ instantly searches the database and identifies healthier products by comparing the overall nutritional value of the product to existing government criteria. The overall nutritional rating takes into account a range of different factors important to general health including fats, sugars, salt, protein and fibre. ‘FoodSwitch’ gives customers the perfect opportunity to get to grips with what the labels mean, and to better understand what is in their food. The app colour codes each product by the content of four important nutrients: total fat, saturated fat (saturates), sugars and salt. Red – (high) try to choose products with less red circles. Amber – (amber) this choice is OK, but going for choices labelled green is better. Green – (low) the more green circles, the healthier the choice.”
Source: http://bit.ly/1jEWZQ5
Usage: Not specified
Weblink of reviewer: http://bit.ly/1jEX1Yj

---

Reviewer: Stroke Association, UK
Review: “Stroke Association supports the launch of the ‘FoodSwitch’ app, which helps people choose healthier food options. Foods can often be high in salt, fat saturated fat and sugars, but many people struggle to understand nutrition labels on food packaging. Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH) have created a free smartphone app to help shoppers make better food choices, and reduce the risk of ill health through poor diet. The ‘FoodSwitch’ app allows shoppers to scan the barcodes of food and drink products and instantly see whether they are high (red), medium (amber) or low (green) in fat, saturates, sugars and salt per 100g. It also searches a database for similar, but healthier, alternative products, making it easier to switch to healthier food choices.”
Source: http://bit.ly/1jEXqdb
Usage: Not specified
Weblink of reviewer: http://bit.ly/1jEXqdd

---

Reviewer: Kidney Research UK
Review: “Kidney Research UK is proud to support a brand new smartphone app, launching today. ‘FoodSwitch’ is the first-ever smartphone app to enable UK consumers to make healthier and smarter food-and-drink choices. … Sandra Currie, Chief Executive at Kidney Research UK, said: “The majority of kidney patients have to be very careful with their dietary intake, particularly salt. But, on many processed foods, it’s not always clear what the product contains. This innovative app is an easy way for people to get a clear picture of what is in their food, allowing them better informed choices for a healthier diet.”
Source: http://bit.ly/1jEXJEP
Usage: Not specified
Weblink of reviewer: http://bit.ly/1jEXJEQ

---

Reviewer: Consumers International (CI), UK
Review: “It is difficult to control salt consumption when as much as 75% of our intake comes from processed foods. Consumers in Australia, New Zealand and the UK can get help choosing lower salt options with the ‘FoodSwitch’ app. Consumers scan the barcodes of food and drink products. ‘FoodSwitch’ is linked to a database of nutrition information, so can show instantly whether a product contains high (red), medium (amber), or low (green) levels of salt, sugar, saturated fat, fat or calories.”
Source: http://bit.ly/1l2ncb8
Usage: Not specified
Weblink of reviewer: http://bit.ly/1l2ndfb