Not always easily legible: the small print on packaging. This can become a problem for people with food intolerances. Much has been achieved for them in recent years – after all, there are now 14 main allergens that must be labelled on the packaging; even trace amounts of up to two percent. And this is where the challenge lies: The law prescribes a minimum text size for this labelling. The problem with this: These 1.2 millimetres are not always easily legible.
A new app (freely available on IOS/Android) with text recognition now makes everyday life easier. The CheckWise app identifies possible allergens in food, additives (E numbers), fragrances and ingredients, as well as sugar. Unlike other scanner apps, CheckWise scans the text on food, cosmetic and personal care products and does not rely on the barcode. This makes the result much more reliable. The CheckWise app is quick, easy, and intuitive to use. The chosen product is scanned, the app detects possible allergens in food and users get the result on their smartphone within seconds. Easily legible. The result is automatically compared with a personal and individualised allergen list that was entered beforehand; “nut”, for example, or even complicated terms as for the preservative “methylisothiazolinone
An interview on this with Professor Dr. Torsten Zuberbier can be seen here. The recording was made during the German Allergy Congress 2022 in Wiesbaden with the kind support of “My Allergy Portal”.
More information about the free CheckWise app can be found here.