Smartphone App That Scans Your Food for Possible Allergies

Are you allergic to some substances but can't make out which food product you should avoid in a supermarket? A solution is in the offing now.

People can now use cameras on their smart phones, such as an iPhone, to scan the bar code of more than 85,000 different food items. The Food Angel application takes product scanning to another level.

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Users first of all need to type in details of their condition into a website, listing which foods or ingredients they want to be alerted to. This is then synched with the phone's app.

When you scan the product bar code the user will receive a red warning signal if they contain any of the problem ingredients. If it is clear, a green tick appears.

Called IsItInIt, the app was designed by a Norwich-based company called Food Angel, set up by Neil Betts along with his brother as a retirement project.

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"As a sufferer myself, I think it could made a bid difference to consumers. Many packs of food have so much information, especially the ready meals, that it's like trying to read a bible. This will make life so much easier," the Telegraph quoted Betts as saying.

However, the app is available, for now, only in conjunction with Sainsbury's. But the company is confident that other supermarkets will sign up to the system next year.

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Many children, especially those with eczema, are unnecessarily avoiding foods based on incomplete information about potential food-allergies, say National Jewish Health researchers.

The app would be a blessing to those with severe allergies, people for who even a mild allergic reaction can be fatal.

Food Angel said it would update all products each evening to ensure that the ingredients were kept continually up to date.

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Source-ANI