FoodSwitch app to help improve food choices launched in India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health has launched an innovative nutrition application – FoodSwitch in India.

The mobile application, which was funded in part through an Australia-India Council grant, allows consumers to scan the barcode of a packaged food item and see easy-to-understand information about fat, sugar, and salt levels using the established traffic light labelling system – red (high) amber (OK), and green (good).

Professor Bruce Neal, senior director at The George Institute for Global Health, said, “FoodSwitch helps consumers evaluate the nutritional content of packaged foods and, when they can be found, suggests better options.”

High Commissioner Patrick Suckling, who launched the application at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, welcomed the practical engagement between the Australian and Indian health sectors.

“Australia has been engaging with India’s health sector for decades across a wide range of activities in R&D, skill training, commercial engagement and on a government to government level. This FoodSwitch Application highlights the importance of proactive and creative approaches to preventative health measures and demonstrates Australian innovation and commitment to health outcomes,” he said.

If a scanned product is not in the database, consumers can use the phone camera to send in photos so that it can be added.

Dr Vivekanand Jha, the executive director of the George Institute for Global Health in India, said he hoped Indian consumers would use FoodSwitch when they did their shopping.

Available for iOS and Android consumers free of cost, FoodSwitch is backed by a database of about 10,000 packaged foods compiled in collaboration with the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India.