What is Foodback?
Foodback is a smartphone app for crowdsourcing data on the healthiness of foods advertised and sold in local community settings (i.e., schools, hospitals, supermarkets, takeaways, sport clubs) and outdoors (i.e., around schools) in New Zealand.
The results will be fed back automatically to local ‘change agents’ (such as schools, hospitals, managers of supermarkets, takeaways and sport clubs,..) in the form of badges (e.g. sugary drink free) and medals (bronze/silver/gold).
This way, settings and communities can be compared against each other, a
nd people can encourage and support local ‘change agents’ to make positive, healthy changes to foods advertised and sold in their community.
Our purpose is to advocate for healthier food places in New Zealand
The research team at the University of Auckland developed Foodback© – a FREE smartphone app for crowdsourcing data on the healthiness of foods sold or advertised in key places in the community throughout New Zealand. Food places will receive scores and awards designed to benchmark with national guidelines on healthy food. The results will be fed back automatically to local ‘change agents’ (such as schools, managers of supermarkets, takeaways and sport clubs,..) to encourage positive changes.
This way, the app aims to facilitate joint efforts to make healthy food choices easy and more accessible.
Five New Zealand communities Helensville, Birkenhead, Welcome Bay, Wairoa and Nelson, participated in the initial phase of developing the Foodback initiative.
If you would like more information about the five participating communities, please click on the links below.
The development of the Foodback app and approach was supported by
The Heart Foundation of New Zealand
The Health Research Council of New Zealand
