World Food Day is celebrated annually on October 16, and the theme for 2024 is “Right to foods for a better life and a better future”. This year’s theme emphasizes the need for global action to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient food that is diverse, nutritious, and safe.
On the occasion of World Food Day, InfoCons is offering consumers the European InfoCons App, a useful tool for making informed choices about food products.
With the help of the Free European InfoCons App, consumers can verify if the products they purchase meet safety standards! In the App’s Alerts section, citizens have direct access to alerts for food and non-food products at the European Union level.
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Through the Alerts section of the European InfoCons App, consumers have direct and transparent access to food alerts, updated daily and accompanied by details such as:
- The date the alert was issued (from the most recent to the oldest);
- A clear description of the product;
- The countries affected;
- The issue identified with the product;
- The risk level.
ATTENTION! Since the beginning of 2024, 4,055 food product alerts have been issued. To view all the food products identified in the alert system, you can access the section available in the European InfoCons App.
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The European InfoCons App is a useful and free tool that can be used in 33 languages. With the app, consumers can make informed decisions about what they eat by simply scanning the barcode of product labels. This way, anyone can access the following useful information in their native language:
- Scanning food product barcodes to discover the ingredients, the number and type of food additives, allergens, and the amount of sugar, salt, and calories;
- Customizing the app for people with specific health concerns and dietary needs by setting limits for the amount of salt, sugar, allergens, and the types and numbers of additives;
- A calculator where you can input the amount of product consumed to instantly find out the amount of salt and sugar, the calorie count, and the physical activities needed to burn those calories (walking, running, and cycling);
- Saving scanned products in the “Saved Products” section, allowing consumers to create their own shopping list, daily/weekly menu, and recipes;
- From the “Saved Products” section, consumers can see the total number of E-numbers, as well as the total amount of sugar and salt in the products they have consumed;
- Real-time alerts for food and non-food products across the European Union;
- A dictionary of terminology in areas like consumer protection, the environment, finance, labor, insurance, energy, etc.
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Currently, according to statistical data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 2.8 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet. Unhealthy diets, which lead to undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity, are a leading cause of all forms of malnutrition. However, many people still suffer from hunger and lack access to nutritious food. Vulnerable individuals are often forced to rely on basic or cheaper but unhealthy foods, while others lack access to fresh or varied food, do not have the information needed to choose a healthy diet, or simply opt for convenience.
Hunger and malnutrition are exacerbated by prolonged crises caused by conflicts, extreme weather events, and economic shocks. Agrifood systems are vulnerable to these crises but also contribute to them by causing pollution, degrading soil, water, and air, and leading to biodiversity loss. However, by transforming agrifood systems, we have the potential to mitigate climate change and support peaceful, resilient, and inclusive livelihoods for all.
InfoCons – European Organization for Consumer Protection and Promotion of Programs and Strategies , a full member of the World Organization Consumers International, founding member of the Federation of Consumer Associations, and member of ANEC.