Photos: The tech that’s demystifying food labels
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FoodScores
FoodScores
This is an app developed by the Environmental Working Group that is a database to score your food more realistically. It has about 80,000 products, 5,000 ingredients, and about 1,500 brands in the database, and it scores them based on nutrition, ingredient information, and processing.
ScanAvert
ScanAvert
ScanAvert has 280,000 products on its list, which is continually growing. The app lets you scan barcodes to receive immediate detailed information about the food, products, and prescriptions you want to purchase. It also suggests substitutes and alerts you if anything is recalled. ScanAvert is a subscription-based service that costs $1.99 a month. It only covers products based in the US, so it’s most useful in a chain supermarket.
OpenLabel
OpenLabel
Instead of building its own database, OpenLabel opens it up to everyone. The app is a crowdsourced labeling community, allowing anyone to share their thoughts and information on any product and post it in addition to the nutrition label information.
Prep Pad
Prep Pad
Prep Pad is a smart food scale that gives you insight into the nutrition information of whatever you’re cooking or preparing. It supports up to 15 pounds of weight and is thin enough to fit in a drawer. The accompanying Countertop app tracks what how you prepare food and the nutritional value of what you’re cooking, then allows you to share this information or personalize goals.
ShopWell
ShopWell
ShopWell helps you find nutritious alternatives to food you find in the grocery store, and it personalizes the experience based on what you think you need to work on in your health or diet. It scores foods on a scale of 1 to 100, depending on what you’re looking for, like heart health or less gluten or athletic training. You can make shopping lists and the app will suggest similar products with higher scores.
6SensorLabs
6SensorLabs
This company is building a portable allergen sensor that allows you to test food for gluten before you eat it. It was started by a woman who has been leading a gluten-free diet for many years, and several other members of the team also try to avoid gluten because of health reasons. 6SensorLabs was born out of MIT and is currently working on the sensor, but is asking for surveys to better understand how people identify with their food.
Food Essentials
Food Essentials
This is a platform for retailers to use to make sure they know the types of food they are putting on their shelves. It’s a real-time, customizable tool to show things such as what foods contain certain chemicals, what’s harmful and what’s helpful for children, what’s heart healthy or gluten-free, or vegan.
TellSpec
TellSpec
TellSpec is a food sensor that uses algorithms to better understand the chemical makeup of your food. It uses a Bluetooth LE connection to get the information to you. There is also an ever-growing encyclopedia of ingredients in food so that you can learn more about what you’re putting in your body.
