What is Celiac Safe?
Celiac Safe is a free, mobile-friendly web app that helps people with celiac disease quickly determine if food products are safe to eat. Simply scan a product's barcode with your phone camera, and we'll analyze the ingredients for gluten content and provide a clear safety recommendation.
How does the barcode scanner work?
When you scan a barcode, we look up the product in OpenFoodFacts, a comprehensive collaborative food database. We then analyze the ingredients list using our gluten detection algorithm, which checks for wheat, barley, rye, and other gluten-containing ingredients. We also check for gluten-free certifications and cross-contamination warnings. (USDA FoodData Central integration is planned for the future.)
How accurate is the gluten detection?
Our algorithm is designed to be conservative and prioritize your safety. We check ingredients against a comprehensive database of gluten-containing grains and derivatives. However, no automated system is perfect - we always recommend verifying with the manufacturer for critical dietary needs, especially for products marked as 'Caution' or 'Unknown'.
What gluten-free certifications do you recognize?
We recognize 9 major gluten-free certifications including GFFP (< 5 PPM), GFCO (< 10 PPM), NSF Gluten-Free (< 20 PPM), AOECS Crossed Grain Symbol, Coeliac UK, Beyond Celiac/BRCGS, Canadian Celiac Association, AFDIAG, and generic certified gluten-free labels. Each certification has different testing standards - hover over the logos in the product display to see the PPM (parts per million) levels.
Is Celiac Safe free to use?
Yes! Celiac Safe is completely free and has no ads. Our goal is to make gluten-free shopping easier for everyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Does it work offline?
Not yet, but offline mode is on our roadmap. Currently, you need an internet connection to look up products. However, we cache product results for 24 hours to make repeated lookups faster.
What food databases do you use?
We currently use OpenFoodFacts, a collaborative, open database of food products from around the world with millions of products. Integration with USDA FoodData Central is planned for the future to improve coverage of US products.
What if a barcode isn't found?
If a product isn't in our databases, you'll see a 'Product not found' message. This usually happens with very new products, local brands, or products from regions with less database coverage. You can manually check the ingredients label or contact us to request the product be added.
What if the app gives incorrect information?
If you notice incorrect information, please report it using the 'Report Issue' button on the product display. Product databases are crowdsourced and occasionally contain errors. We appreciate your help in keeping the data accurate.
Do you collect my data?
We don't collect personal information. We may use anonymous analytics to understand how people use the app and improve it. We don't track what products you scan or store any personally identifiable information.
Do I need to use it on a mobile phone?
No! While Celiac Safe is designed to be mobile-first, it works on any device with a camera and web browser - phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. However, the best experience is on a mobile device for easy scanning while shopping.
What countries/regions are supported?
The app works worldwide, but product database coverage varies by region. North America and Europe generally have the best coverage. As food databases grow, coverage in other regions will improve.
Still have questions?
We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch and we'll respond as soon as possible.
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