Read Mumsnetters’ feedback on the new Change4Life food scanner app

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the MNers who have been testing the Change4Life food scanner app.

Here’s what PHE has to say: “Without realising it we’re all eating too much sugar, saturated fat and salt. The new and improved ‘Food Scanner’ app is here to help you and your family make healthier food and drink choices. Simply scan the barcode of your food and drink to reveal what’s inside.”

Testers, please answer the below questions.

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?
2. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?
3. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?
4. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?
5. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

All testers who give their feedback will be sent a £5 Amazon voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Sorry for late reply here, I’d written answers to the original questions but must just not have ever submitted it. Here’s my responses to the new questions...

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?

The Food Scanner app initially made me feel really bad about what I was eating and what I was feeding the children. I kept trying it on snacks, as in packaged snacks, which are mostly bad (red!). I’ve realised that I probably do use packaged snacks too often, for the convenience although I often give fruit as snacks too- which can’t be scanned - so we are not as bad as I first thought!

1. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?

The colour coding made it easy to see quickly how good/bad something was.

1. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?

Probably, although I am perfectly capable of reading the packaging myself, it’s quite nice to have a visual display on sugar cubes. The saturated fat dripping is disgusting, I think that’s the idea of it, but that’s what made me feel bad at first.

1. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?

I try to give packaged snacks less often if we are in the house and save them more for when we are out and about.

1. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

Better links to fruit and veg snack alternatives. I wasn’t very inspired by the alternative snacks and drinks offered. Perhaps some more images of veg cut or presented in interesting ways, or even cooked differently, might be inspiring. Also one laternative said malt loaf but then malt loaf wasn’t entirely green!

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?

Maybe a couple of substitutions but not as many as I was expecting there to be

1. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?

My children really liked trying to line up the camera with the barcode! I liked that it was convenient as I always have my phone with me

1. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?

Probably not. Most of the information I could just get from the food packaging. I was expecting more suggestions of what I could buy to make a healthier choice

1. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?

Yes, I was surprised by the amount of sugar in one of my children’s ‘healthy’ snacks so I did swap that. I suppose that is an advantage to the app, it does make you double check things that you’ve previously assumed are ok because they have ‘organic’ on them or whatever

1. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

I think it would be helpful to have some further information about substitutions that could be made to make a healthier choice, as well as a bit more context as to what constitutes a ‘healthy’ amount of sugar/salt/fat when weighed against guidelines for adults and children. A section of recipes for snack ideas/lunches might be a good idea as well as I frequently make the worst choices when grabbing something quickly whilst out

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?

Not really - to be honest I knew much of the information it showed me

1. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?

Ease of use

1. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?

Maybe if we are out and about and I wanted to double check something

1. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?

There wasn't a time I changed my mind

1. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

More information about the product e.g. additives

1. A little. I don’t like buying lots of junk food anyway, and try to limit the types of snacks the kids can have. I think common sense is key to any purchasing decisions.
2. It’s easy enough to use and the items it recognises come up really quickly. The graphics accompanying the items are useful too.
3. Possibly, if I can remember to switch the app on whilst shopping.
4. If anything had a lot more sugar than I anticipated I would put it back.
5. It’s good that previously scanned items are saved. But I think it could do with increasing the amount of items in it’s memory as some things we scanned just didn’t yield any results.

1. I tried it couple time but mostly the app told me that it couldn't find the product, so not very satisfied.

1. If it worked it was very quick to find out everything about the product I wanted to buy and I have changed my decision couple times.

3.Don't think so. Can find same info on every product packaging.

1. When it showed me amount of sugar that was in the specific product.

1. You need to add more products so everything can be scanned and I can get info straight away, otherwise it is useless.

Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?
Yes I think it did help me make better choice and also made me aware of the choices I made in the past and present.

1. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?

It was a fun way of finding out and getting the children involved too on the app.

1. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?

Yes it is a very informative way of looking into what you buy and the amount of ingredients it contains.

1. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?

I did not change my purchase choice but did learn how much contents it contained for certain ingredients.

1. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

I think the current design function is really good.

1. Yes, better choice for snacks.
2. Was quick to scan and easy to use
3. Yes I will continue to use the app
4. I did not change any purchase choices
5. A lot of the foods I scanned were not available on the app. Would have liked to send a request for the item to be added when scanned.

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices?

Yes definitely

1. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app?

The kids loved to hear the squelchy fat sounds but I was craving being at how much fat was in some of the foods we had in our cupboard

1. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app?

Yes

1. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app?

I was buying chocolate bars for lunch
Bars, we scanned the bars with the app but the fat and sugar content was so high we decided to try some naurally pressed fruit bars instead

1. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app?

It would be good if the app gave you a product swap choice

1. Do you think the Food Scanner app helped you to make healthier food and drink choices? yes I do
2. What did you and your family enjoy about using the Food Scanner app? it was easy to use and helped the children to make good choices. I have 2 children with eating disorders and it is important that they understand food
3. Do you think that you will continue to use the Food Scanner app? yes I think so
4. Can you tell us about a time - if any - you changed your purchase choice as a result of the app? we changed items which surprised us with the amount of sugar
5. We’d love to hear about any features you think could further improve the Food Scanner app? it would be good if it showed alternatives