AIBU to think the Sugar Smart app should be taken with a grain of salt...

[TattyDevine]

The skids have seen the ad for the sugar smart app (change 4 life) on the TV and asked if they could have it. So I put it on my phone.

The general idea is that you scan the barcodes of various food products you have bought, and it tells you how many sugar cubes are in them. Children are supposed to have no more than 6 a day (or 5, or 7, depending on their age, but around 6)

All good. So I scanned the Nutri Grain breakfast bars, 4 sugar cubes (oops, best not buy them again), the Cocoa Pops bars which I thought would be crawling with the stuff but only have 2 (I sometimes let them have one after dinner so that can remain) and some various other things which seemed sound.

Like the crazed addict that I am, I looked for other stuff to scan! Ikg box of organic rolled oats...here's where I got a bit suss. The app tells me it has 5 sugar cubes in it (the whole box, not per serve, so not scary). The ingredients say 100% whole organic rolled oats, so indeed they do not have 5 cubes of sugar in them.

Obviously I understand the difference between "sugars" and "sugar" (sugars being carbohydrate, complex or otherwise), but the app says you only have to worry about added sugar, so I can't help but feel a product with no added sugar should not come up with a sugar content at all. Perhaps they will tweak this.

Not to be outdone, I scanned my 4 pack of San Pelligrino sparkling mineral water (not flavoured in any way, just fizzy water) and that apparently has 2 sugar cubes which is odd as it is water and has no calories at all of any kind.

Now in a huff so I scanned the cardboard envelope a DVD from Amazon turned up in. It has 3 sugar cubes

Well, I best not feed them that then...

[OurBlanche]

Is there anywhere you can post that, in connection with the App? All over their website/facebook/twitter...

Go on, you know you want to

[CornishDoll82]

Was it American Pie maybe?

[TattyDevine]

Cornish

I'm sure it will all iron out, but if they want people to use it and take it on board, they have to make it accurate. Now I'm not sure what to think about the other stuff!

I might just have to go back to using my common sense...

[TattyDevine]

Though my son wailed that he doesn't want the app after all after I'd scanned the breakfast bar and told him it was 2/3 of his daily allowance

DELETE!

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Scan more things! NOW! Suggestions:

Marmite
Like Water for Chocolate
A bag of sugar
A box of sugar cubes
An album by the Sugarcubes

[TempusEedjit]

An album by the Sugarcubes

[Obs2016]

So the app doesn't work as well as it should then?

[TattyDevine]

MrsTerryPratchett STOP IT!

[notquitehuman]

Please scan the bag of sugar and see what it says!

[CornishDoll82]

A jar of Splenda

Sugar, Sugar by the Archies

[TattyDevine]

I don't have a bag of sugar! I did have one but it split so I put it in an old Plain Flour container. What's the bet I scan that and it still says it has 2452 cubes of sugar in it?

[neonrainbow]

I think it works well and its a revelation how much sugar there is in stuff especially low fat stuff. As there's loads of food products that aren't on there I highly doubt it would scan a dvd.

[TattyDevine]

It didn't scan a DVD, it scanned an envelope barcode.

[TattyDevine]

It's true it doesn't recognise everything though, it didn't recognise some Cadbury Fingers snack pack (the little bags)

Or my glasses wipes

(Can't talk now, busy scanning)...

[987flowers]

All but the nutella I've scanned have said not available yet!!!

Also telling me there is 56 cubes in 400g of nutella doesn't really help as even I don't use a whole jar!

[ooerrmissus]

Brilliant! Downloading it now and DS1 and I are going to find random things to scan. It's a glamorous life I lead

[TattyDevine]

Yes, it would be s lot more useful if it told you per serving (which works best if something comes in individual packets, of course, because with Nutella you would never stick to the suggested serving size!)

It's probably easier, and definitely more accurate, to realise that 5g of "sugar" (the "of which sugars" listed under carbohydrate bit of the nutritional grid) equates to a cube of sugar. Or a teaspoon full.

So the breakfast bar was accurate enough, in that in the "of which sugars" section it said 18g, which is close enough to 20g, which is 4 cubes.

Saves you scanning, but the "6 cubes" or 6 x 5g" thing puts it into perspective which is a good thing.

So I'm not dissing the concept, definitely not. It is an eye opener.

[NinaSimoneful]

That's hilarious

I'd love to scan the Sugababes. It should say 3, of course, then 2 but only for a second before going back up to 3 again, then later briefly flashing 2 and returning to 3. And again one last time.

Confusing and none of the original cubes are there anymore. But the original cubes have got together apart for the other 3 anyway.

[ooerrmissus]

Oh pah it hasn't got half the products we've tried so far. Really common things like a bottle of 10 year old port I got for FILs birthday. Hmmm

[ooerrmissus]

Apparently ketchup has 39 cubes in a whole bottle. I feel I'm now able to make healthier choices for my family now I am armed with this information feck all use to anybody

[ShesGotLionsInHerHeart]

I know one of the developers of this app and they hadnt finished working on it when the client rushed it out without letting them know they were publicising it. So it's not 100%!

[ShesGotLionsInHerHeart]

Although imo it's pointless; anyone that arsed about sugar can already read a label.

[TattyDevine]

The sooner they get 10 year old bottles of port, the sooner the health of the nation's children will improve. Lets start a petition!

[TattyDevine]

You're right Lions - I already knew.

The "6 cubes" thing is a good visual, that reminds you that it's 30g, or an ounce (or thereabouts), for a particular age group, which is helpful in terms of the cut off point. A quick google to remind me probably would have done the same though.

[TattyDevine]

Even so it's "reaching people" because the ad break made me get the app, which reminded me, when it otherwise wouldn't have. People talking about it, people reading this, also reminded, etc. So all in all not a bad thing.