April 11/Washington/UPI -- A U.S. food advocacy group is offering a mobile application on food additive safety directly to iPhones, iPads, the iPod Touch and Android-equipped devices.

"Shopping for groceries was a lot easier when more food came from farms, and not factories," Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, says in a statement. "And the tens of thousands of packaged foods on supermarket shelves have a bewildering array of chemical food additives, designed to variously enhance the taste, texture, color, or shelf life of the product. We decided to make life a little easier for those who want to satisfy your curiosity about some of the most commonly used food additives -- from the convenience of your mobile device."

Jacobson says the Chemical Cuisine glossary of food additives has been one of the most heavily trafficked pages on the CSPI's website.

The app, built by the Washington technology firm EchoDitto, is on sale for 99 cents in the iTunes app store and the Android market.

From the April 12, 2011,Prepared Foods' Daily News.