Fooducate : Scan Food Products to Know Nutritional Value

Fooducate is a mobile app which enables users to scan bar-codes of food products to find out about their nutritional value. Fooducate uses algorithms to grade products based on their ingredients and nutrients. Since their launch in January 2011 they recently crossed the 10 million product scans mark. They have brought out an infographic that illustrates this data. Yogurt, cereal and snack bars are the most scanned categories while brands like Jif Peanut Butter, Coca Cola and Cheerios are some of the most scanned brands.

“People are scanning and learning, then upgrading their cereal, bread, and other groceries,” said Hemi Weingarten, founder & CEO of Fooducate. “Many shoppers are surprised to discover that some of the so called healthy and natural foods they are considering are actually not.”

Users may also comment on products and indicate whether they like them or not. The reviews are taken into account when Fooducate’s algorithms suggest healthy alternatives. “That way, the app recommends healthy foods that are also tasty,” said Weingarten.