Aldi launches health-focused shopping app

Ruth Hogan

4th Feb 2020

Discount supermarket Aldi is adding another string to its bow with the launch of a free grocery app that facilitates healthy food choices.

Healthy Picks, which was developed in partnership with The George Institute for Global Health, gives users an insight into the nutritional rating of a product when they scan the barcode with their phone.

Every packaged food and drink product in-store, bar fresh items, will display the nutrition information and either a Health Star Rating or Traffic Light Label to help inform consumers before making a purchase.

If the consumer wants an alternative option, the app recommends a product in the same category which could be considered a healthier option based on the Health Star Rating.

Aldi said in a statement that the app is designed to make the “next shop less complicated, and more health focused”.

“When it comes to the weekly grocery shop, knowing you are making the best choices possible for your health and that of your family’s can sometimes be a daunting task,”the retailer said on its website.

“This allows users to make an informed decision about what to buy.”

Both rating systems evaluate a product based on the amount of energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium it contains.

For shoppers seeking vegetarian alternatives, the app uses a green side bar to indicate which products are suitable.

“We have developed the Healthy Picks app for Aldi to support their shoppers to make more informed choices,” Clare Farrand, public health nutritionist at The George Institute said.

“From there shoppers can decide if they want to buy it, or switch to an alternative.”

Aldi recently expanded its range of health foods and will be releasing new products in its Oh So Natural range as well as healthier snack options for kids in the coming months.

This story first appeared on sister site, Inside FMCG.