The National Institute for Health Innovation at the University of Auckland, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health and Bupa New Zealand, has developed FoodSwitch, an app designed to make shopping for a healthier lifestyle easier and more efficient.

The FoodSwitch app allows you to scan the barcodes of packaged foods at the supermarket or at home, using the camera on your phone. FoodSwitch then presents you with immediate, easy-to-understand information about that product’s nutritional make-up. Users can then see a simple breakdown of the salt, sugar and carbohydrate levels amongst others in the product.

The app was first developed in Australia, but is now available here in New Zealand, thanks in part to the work done by The National Institute for Health Innovation.

You can find out more by visiting the FoodSwitch website