App counts calories from photos

A new app can help users eat healthier by analysing the nutritional information in a meal from a photo.

We have recently seen a number of health trackers, such as a device that doubles as jewelry and an in-ear tracker that can measure eating speed. However, most do not provide a way for users to keep track of calories consumed as well as expended. A new calorie counting app aims to provide a complete health and wellness tracking service by determining the nutritional value of every meal you eat, using a photo. To use the Foodvisor app, users first take a photo of their meal using their smartphone. The apps’ food-recognition software will identify the food and produce a serving size recommendation and a detailed nutritional analysis, within seconds. Users can also scan barcodes of products, or manually input nutrition information, to create a customized food-diary that will help keep them on track with nutritional goals.

Foodvisor combines calorie counting with fitness tracking by allowing users to also log their activities and keep track of the calories burned throughout the day. The app can integrate with Apple Health to automatically add activity data from other fitness apps. Users can set health and wellness goals, and real-time charts and graphs will allow them to track progress and construct a personalized wellness regime.

The app was developed by Charles Boes and three friends, who were inspired after watching people take photos of their food for Instagram. They realized that the same photos could also be used to analyze the nutritional contents of the food. Foodvisor is currently available to download for free from the Apple App Store and an Android version is coming soon. The France-based company is currently exploring funding options and partnership opportunities. There has already been interest from catering companies wanting to use the app to provide nutritional information for their meal trays. Will this app provide a seamless way to integrate health and fitness goals into a daily routine, or will more accuracy be required?