Kraft Foods is making it easier for busy consumers to plan meals, search recipes and even locate the nearest store through a new downloadable application for iPhone and iPod touch users. The application is called iFood Assistant and is available on the Apple App Store for 99 cents. It is billed as the first of its kind for a food or consumer packaged goods company.
“People’s lives are becoming increasingly complex and they’re looking for relevant content and solutions to make their lives easier,” Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation, new services at Kraft, said in a statement.
More than 7,000 recipes can be found on the app. Once the recipe is chosen, iFoodAssistant creates an itemized shopping list, the ingredients can be viewed by which grocery isle they are located in and can be deleted as they go in the shopping cart. The recipes and shopping lists can be shared with others. Another click locates the most convenient store and promotional offers if available. Video cooking demonstrations can be viewed or shortcuts located like the “Dinner Tonight” and “Recipe of the Day” sections.
Kraft designed the application to include partners that provide relevant content or tools. The tools are “all different ways for people to save time or money or both,” said Basil Maglaris, a spokesperson for Kraft Foods. “People are leading more wireless lives so that’s the opportunity for us to provide food ideas, and more interactive experiences.”