This New Zealand-developed app allows the user to search and compare nutritional information, ingredients and claims on 8,000 New Zealand food products.
Using their smartphone or tablet the user can scan the barcode of a food label and get easy to interpret nutritional information on the product using a traffic light-style colour rating for levels of total fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt. This allows them to compare products at a glance. They also receive immediate suggestions for ‘healthier’ alternative foods or products.
PROS include: Produced by trustworthy organisations: The University of Auckland’s National Institute for Health Innovation, The George Institute for Global Health, and Bupa New Zealand.
CONS include: Does not include information and messages on portion size.
More information on this and other reviewed apps at:
www.healthnavigator.org.nz/app-library.
Full FoodSwitch review at: https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/app-library/f/foodswitch-new-zealand-app/
The NZ App Project: Health Navigator, a health website run by a non-profit trust, is using technical and clinical reviewers to develop a New Zealand-based library of useful and relevant health apps. Nurses are invited to support the project by either recommending consumer-targeted health apps for review and/or offering to be app reviewers. Email [email protected] to find out more.
