Allergy sufferers are the next group to be targeted by the iPhone app craze. Soon, shoppers will be able to scan supermarket barcodes and have the iPhone tell them if it’s safe to buy. Nastasia Campanella reports.

Soon shoppers will be able to scan supermarket products for nutrition information. Image: Ninja M

Australian dietitians are welcoming a new iPhone application to test for food allergens.

Since late 2009, researchers at Melbourne’s Deakin University have worked along side GS1 Australia and Nestlé to develop an application to better inform consumers about ingredients when shopping.

Deakin University Associate Professor, Caroline Chan said the application will be quick and easy to use.

“Consumers use their iPhones to swipe the barcode of products and the information is then transmitted into a database within the phone which produces information about the product,” said Professor Chan.

“It’s important for consumers to be informed about the choices they make in regards to their eating habits.”

The application detects allergens such as egg, shellfish, wheat and peanuts.

Accredited practicing dietitian, Jane Watson, from Newcastle’s Ethos Health said percentages of Australian’s suffering from allergies were high.

“The incidence of food allergy has been estimated to be around 1 in 20 children and approximately 1 in 100 adults,” she said.

“Common triggers are eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts and tree nuts.”

Watson said less common triggers were seafood, sesame, soy, fish and wheat.

“Some food allergies can be severe, causing life threatening reactions so this is an interesting concept which might really help sufferers to choose the right foods based on their diagnosis.”

Anne Swain, Head Dietitian at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), agreed with Watson and said the iPhone app is a positive invention.

“Shopping is such a lengthy process for people with allergies because they need to run around aisles, reading every package to see what’s inside,” she said.

“This will mean they won’t have to trawl through supermarkets – shopping won’t be such a nightmare.”

While allergy sufferers have always had to memorise what they can or can’t eat, Swain said she didn’t feel the application would lead to people being lazy with their health.

“On the contrary, I think people will be more careful about checking what allergens and ingredients are in products they intend on buying.”

Professor Chan said she didn’t feel the application would lead to increased rates of self-diagnosis.

“I think people will still go to see their doctors but this technology will just make them more conscious,” she said.

“The labeling on products is often very small and difficult to read so this just makes it easier and more accessible.”

However, Kerryn O’Brien, a practicing Dietitian of 18 years servicing the Albury Wodonga area disagrees.

She said that older citizens will miss out.

“The majority of people I have seen with serious allergies are under 50, but the elderly will just think iPhones are too hard to use.”

Watson said symptoms of allergic reactions ranged from difficult/noisy breathing and talking or dizziness.

She also said it was important for people not to self-diagnose because there is a difference between being allergic to food and being intolerant to it.

“The term allergy is often misused to describe any adverse reactions to food which result in annoying, but ultimately harmless, symptoms such as headaches,” said Watson.

“These reactions are known as ‘food intolerance’ and are believed to occur in a far greater percentage of the population than food allergies.”

According to the Gut Foundation, 30 percent of the population suffers symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, while the Coeliac Society said one in 100 people were allergic to wheat.

Figures for the numbers of people who were lactose intolerant could not be obtained, but Watson said the most important issue when dealing with retailers whether or not the application goes ahead, is proper labeling.

“Food manufacturers are required to declare potentially allergenic ingredients on packaging and that has always been the safest way to let people know what they are eating.”

But Professor Chan insists the application has unlimited potential.

“We live in a society where people need to be more conscious of what, and how much they eat.

“People will be able to see the amounts of sugar, salt and fat there is in the products they are consuming so it goes beyond helping allergy sufferers.”

After the application was developed, a trial was conducted where 20 iPhones had the software uploaded for testing.

Nestlé and GS1 Australia, the non-profit organisation responsible for bar-coding retail products nationally, played a large role in the trial of the application.

A spokesperson for GS1 said the tests proved the concept was a success.

“The next step is to test it within a wider market to see whether it passes all the Apple store requirements,” said the spokesperson.

“Once we have an application that meets the stores standards we will invite other manufacturers to participate.”