Eat Right: FoodSwitch App to Help Improve Food Choices

The revolutionary app developed in Australia, which provides consumers with easily understandable information on food packaging food - say in salt, fat and sugar content of the product by scanning a barcode - and suggest healthier alternatives was launched in India.



Switch Food app, developed by Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health, provides customers with the knowledge and support needed to better food habitsacross India and the aim is to reduce diet-related diseases, and promote healthier population, developers say, this application, which was partly funded by a grant from Australia and India, the Council uses the established labeling traffic light - red (high), amber (OK) and green (good) to evaluate products.Bruce Neal, Senior Director of The George Institute for Global Health, said at the launch of the application at the residence of the Australian High Commission here on Wednesday that the Food switch does sometimes complex nutritional information panels immediately understandable. packaged food and, when they can be found, says better options, 'said said.Neal, who led the team developing applications, said a diet high in salt, sugar and fat are now causing major health problems in India. 'This application will be of great help for people who are trying to stay healthy. We know that it's very hard for people to understand the importance thenutrition panels on food, 'says said.Australian High Commissioner Patrick breastfeed welcomes the practical involvement between Australian and Indian health sectors.Australia is involved in the health sector in India for decades on a wide variety of activities research and development, education and business involvement in the level of government-to-government. Switch Food Applications stressed the importance of proactive and creative approaches to preventive health measures and shows Australian innovation and commitment to the health situation, 'said said.Available for iOS and Android consumers free food switch is backed by a database of about 10,000 packaged foods prepared in cooperation with Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control in India. If the scanned product is not in the database, consumers can use a camera phone to send pictures, so it can be added.In Australia get about 150,000 images per year, which allows us to maintain a database of all the way up until today, 'Neal said.This element was the participation of consumers really exciting for us. It will be the largest country that we have launched, with unique challenges the size and scope of the country, and the number of supermarkets. Consumer participation is important that more people can benefit and improve your health.The figures behind the app switch also supports food programs developed in the food industry and government to improve the health of packaged foods. Vivekanand Jha, director of the George Institute for Global Health in India, said he hoped that the Indian consumer would use in foodstuffs switch when they made their shopping.But also want to cooperate with Indian food industry and the government to improve food quality too improved. If we even small changes in average levels of salt, sugar and harmful fats in the food supply can do, it can go a long way in India to combat the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, 'he said said.Already launched in Australia, Britain, New Zealand and South Africa, application has more than 600,000 downloads had worldwide. George Institute is a not-for-profit organization that scientific research in the field of public health and medical sciences.Affiliated the University of Sydney, the Institute today has offices in India, UK and China and is also affiliated with the University of Hyderabad is the Peking University Health Science Centre and the University of Oxford.