A growing number of gluten free apps are cropping up that cater to shoppers with food allergies, and more specifically those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. There are apps that support product research and the in-store food shopping process as well as tools that help locate gluten free-friendly dining-out options. This post focuses on the former, highlighting a few gluten free apps designed to help shoppers find products appropriate for a gluten-free diet.
Examples of Gluten Free Apps
Is That Gluten Free? Reported to be the #1 gluten free app on iTune’s App Store, Is That Gluten Free? provides information on more than 34,500 manufacturer verified gluten-free products representing nearly 1,500 brands. It saves a substantial amount of time for consumers on a gluten-free diet – in terms of researching products, reading labels and fine print, calling manufacturers’ 800 numbers, etc. – by doing all the legwork for them. Some unique features: Provides manufacturer comments regarding such things as cross-contamination; Offers one-touch manufacturer website and phone links for shoppers to quickly obtain additional information as needed. Download cost is $7.99.
Shopwell suggests healthy product options to users as they shop. The app scores foods on a scale of 0 to 100 based on how well they match the user’s selected preferences or dietary issues, such as gluten free, peanut free, sugar free, etc. Users can look up products sorted by category to help plan their grocery shopping list. Or they can scan a product barcode while in the store and Shopwell will return a personalized food score for the item and suggest similar products that have higher scores and thus represent healthier alternatives. According to the company, the app has more than 2 million downloads and more than 50% of Shopwell scan activity happens inside a grocery store. The app is available for free download.
AllerGenie is an iPhone app that lets shoppers scan product barcodes and then tells the user the name of the product and if it is gluten free or not or if it doesn’t know. Users can set their own preferences, such as a food allergy (or allergies) and ingredients. AllerGenie offers a free trial of up to 10 scans. Additional scans are available for purchase.
- Other apps supporting the gluten-free shopper journey worth exploring include: GF Groceries; The Gluten Free Ingredients; My Food Facts; and Gluten Free app.
For more, download GLUTEN FREE Retail Intelligence, “Gluten-Free Shopping: Transparency Tools Rule.”
Key Takeaways
- The gluten-free shopper journey is becoming more manageable as new technology and tools, like mobile apps, come on board.
- The availability and use of tools and technology during the grocery shopping process will continue to increase. Food manufacturers and retailers must embrace these tools and ensure that their brands are adequately and accurately represented.
- Consumer demand for product and food supply chain transparency is real and not going away. All shoppers – not just gluten free – increasingly seek information about foods they consume. Brand marketers must be forthcoming to ensure that shoppers indeed get the required details. Failure to comply may be construed as “something to hide.”