Phones Are Helping Us Eat Healthy!

Story by Tange Mills and photos by Kyla Smith.
Sample label from fda.org

FEB. 18, 2016: Soon phones can be used to better understand what is in food. Scott Faber, who is the vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group,has helped make food labels that help people find different food information by simply using a phone to scan the food label. This will be done by the end of 2017. To learn more about Scott Faber and the Environmental Working Group, go to usatoday.com.

These new labels will be in grocery and convenience stores everywhere. They are made to get information about ingredients, allergens, animal welfare and whether the food contains GMOS (genetically modified organisms). This is agood idea because I want to know what is going into my body every time I eat my favorite foods.  Also, many of my friends have allergies and this can really make a difference and be a game-changer for them.

It sounds pretty simple to find out what you are eating by using a cellphone. You can do this by scanning the barcode of an item with an app or smart phone. This is a good idea because I would like to know what is in the food I eat every day. Is it healthy? I learned that now, with any smartphone device, you can find out many different things about your food and make better decisions about eating, what you should eat and how to build a healthy diet.

I think this is a good idea because it will keep me more healthy and will help me choose healthier food. To learn more go to fda.org.

Tange Mills and Kyla Smith are 5th grade students and Nija Lemons is a fourth grade student at Friendship Chamberlain Academy.