Introducing Atlas - The World's First AI-Based Food Tracking App for Gut Microbiome

- Photo-based food tracking system combined with microbiome test results set to revolutionise preventative healthcare

- A healthy microbiome needs more than just 'five a day'*- and a new app aims to help consumers better understand their food choices and promote dietary diversity

- Unique AI technology analyses how the food consumers eat influences their gut microbiome and helps to identify areas of their diet which could be improved

- Consumers can simply take photos of their meals in the app to receive personalised meal scores, weekly food goals and lifestyle recommendations

LONDON, Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Most of the consumers haven't got a clue as to how many grams of fibre they're taking in on a typical day. And guess what? They're not even close to meeting the recommended daily intake of 30 grams, according to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition UK¹. As adults are only eating 18 grams of fibre per day on average, consumers need to find ways of increasing their intake.

The Atlas app is set to address this growing problem, and help to take the guesswork out of improving our gut health. The app aims to make it clear to consumers exactly how diversity in their diet influences their microbiome, and provide expert guidance on making small steps to change their eating and lifestyle habits.

The creative force behind the new Atlas app is Atlas Biomed, the UK-based personalised health company which is committed to furthering preventative healthcare by utilising evidence-based technologies.

Atlas Biomed are the only company in the UK to provide CE-marked DNA and Microbiome tests directly to consumers. Their home testing kits – the DNA Test and the Microbiome Test – provide ground-breaking insights into personal health, wellbeing and nutrition that are otherwise not readily accessible to consumers.

The synergy of AI technology and in-house algorithms designed by a team of experts including certified nutritionists, bioinformaticians and clinicians makes the Atlas food tracking system completely unique. It generates tailored meal scores for each user, which are integrated with their microbiome results, enabling them to observe how their diet affects their microbiome health and even certain disease risks.

The Atlas app, set to officially launch December 2019, will only work in conjunction with the Atlas Microbiome Test. After taking their Microbiome Test, each customer will receive a detailed report of their gut health. The app will then digest this information and provide personalised food recommendations based on their current diet and individual microbiome traits. Furthermore, the app will allow users to track their progress in the app with personal weekly food goals. By simply taking and uploading photos of meals, they will receive a daily and weekly gut health rating, as the app identifies the ingredients and assesses their nutrient content.

The technology used to recognise visuals of food is a combination of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and Transformer model with attention layer - AI driven computer vision solution.

Atlas Biomed CEO Sergey Musienko says: "Good personal health starts with prevention and by creating this new, ultra-personalised technology we can empower our customers with knowledge.

"At present there is no technology that can evaluate an individual's gut microbiome health. With the app we can clearly demonstrate to consumers what food choices they are making and teach them how to change their diet step by step.

"As opposed to other food tracking apps which focus on calorie counting, Atlas will provide unique data created using every user's individual microbiome results alongside recommendations based on the latest scientific research and nutritional guidelines.

"With increasing levels of diseases such as obesity and diabetes, knowing your body inside out has never been more important. Consumers can take control of their wellbeing, be clear on potential risks and be truly proactive when it comes to healthcare."

The Atlas app will be available for free to customers worldwide who have taken the Atlas Microbiome Test. It will require iOS 10.0 or later, compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

A beta version of the app will be available to media attending Web Summit in Lisbon, November 2019.

About Atlas Biomed:

• Atlas Biomed is a UK-based personalised health company launched in 2016. By combining the latest DNA and microbiome technologies with digital health data, users can take control of their health and make informed decisions about their wellbeing. The company's mission is to drive the movement towards preventive healthcare with evidence-based technology and empower people to make positive lifestyle changes before they get sick.
• There are two tests available in the UK and EU: the Atlas DNA Test and the Atlas Microbiome Test. Both tests plug into the company's online "health control centre" that organises users results into personalised insights and recommendations that are scientifically proven to reduce their disease risk.
• Atlas tests have been registered with the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a Medical Device and meet all required compliance standards for personal and genetic data protection. In order to ensure the highest quality of results, the Atlas Biomed Scientific Advisory Board is made up of leading global experts in the fields of personalised health, genetics and molecular biology.
• Atlas Biomed products are currently available for purchase in the UK, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Poland, Ireland and Canada.

Notes to Editors

1 Carbohydrates and Health,p.190

* https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-what-counts/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1023558/Atlas_Biomed_diet.jpg