To look through ingredient lists and warning labels on every product at a grocery store can be a daunting task for people who have serious food allergies. The same scenario often applies to patients who are taking medications. ScanAvert is a newly launched service that allows patients to use a mobile phone to scan UPC bar codes, and to correlate the known list of ingredients in a product against the patient’s own medical facts.
Consumers register for the service at our website, creating a profile from the allergy, prescription, dietary requirement/restriction, and illness categories. They may also establish limits on any of the nutritional values, e.g., carbohydrates, calories. In store aisles, customers scan product barcodes, with their auto focus camera phones, to receive instant feedback as to product compatibility/incompatibility and suggested compatible substitutes.
Our technology will enable shoppers to determine that the products they are purchasing for themselves and their families are compatible with their allergic, prescription, or dietary profiles, e.g., void of peanuts, or, do not contain gluten, an ingredient considered harmful to an individual with Celiac Disease.
The value proposition of ScanAvert is its simplicity and ease of use for the numerous and varied demographic populations that will reap its benefits. For the supermarket, restaurant chain, or food service vendor, it is a unique way to distinguish itself from competition and to provide a new and valuable service for a significant portion of their customer base.
Link: ScanAvert…
(hat tip: mobihealthnews)