The Sugar App launched today

Madman Production Company, in partnership with The George Institute for Global Health, announced today the launch of THAT SUGAR APP, a free smartphone application for iOS and Android devices (link at end of document).

The producers of the popular feature documentary THAT SUGAR FILM have created THAT SUGAR APP to help consumers calculate the amount of sugar they are eating. The app is a simple and engaging tool that converts the total grams of sugar in everyday food and beverage products to 'teaspoons' that can be added to a daily tally to help consumers track and moderate their sugar intake.

Whilst in production on THAT SUGAR FILM, director and star Damon Gameau saw a pressing need for a tool that would help audiences act on the key message of the film: to be mindful of and reduce the amount of hidden sugar we are consuming when we eat packaged foods, particularly those that are marketed as 'healthy' but are in fact laden with sugar.

Damon comments "We are thrilled to be launching That Sugar App today. It has been designed to be used by the whole family to help calculate the amount of sugar in food products. We are very grateful to the all the support we have received from The George Institute for Global Health and Good Pitch2 Australia, which has allowed us to make this App and information free to the public. We hope it brings greater understanding to where sugar is hiding in our food supply and arms people with the appropriate knowledge for make lasting, positive health changes."

Key features of THAT SUGAR APP:

• Find out the sugar content of everyday food and beverage items
• Track daily sugar consumption and have it displayed in a simple 'teaspoon' graphic
• Participate in 'That Sugar Challenge' by setting a teaspoon goal and the length of time for the challenge
• Share progress with friends and family on Facebook to inspire others to explore how much sugar they are consuming and reduce their own intake

Created in partnership with The George Institute for Global Health and Buzinga App Development, THAT SUGAR APP is powered by the largest independent packaged food products database in Australia. Developed by The George Institute's Food Policy Division to power their award-winning FoodSwitch App, the database includes approximately 90% of food products on the shelves of major supermarkets in Australia.

"Using technology to empower Australians to make better food choices helps address one of the nation's toughest health challenges" comments Professor Bruce Neal, Senior Director at The George Institute for Global Health. "THAT SUGAR APP puts a much needed spotlight on sugar, which is added to the food supply in huge quantities. By combining the message of THAT SUGAR FILM with an engaging smartphone app I hope we can deliver some powerful educational and policy outcomes."

THAT SUGAR APP is free and available now on the App Store and Google Play in Australia or click http://www.thatsugarfilm.com/that-sugar-app