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How It Works

The technology behind safe gluten-free shopping

1

📸 Scan the Barcode

Using your device's camera, we capture and decode the product's barcode using modern browser barcode detection technology to read UPC, EAN, and other common barcode formats.

Pro tip: Good lighting and holding your phone 6-12 inches away gives the best results.

2

🔍 Look Up Product Data

We search trusted food databases to find detailed product information. Our primary data source is OpenFoodFacts, a collaborative, free database with millions of products from around the world.

  • We retrieve: product name, brand, ingredients list, allergen warnings, and certifications
  • Results are cached for 24 hours for faster repeat lookups
  • USDA FoodData Central integration coming soon for better US coverage
3

🔬 Analyze for Gluten

Our gluten detection algorithm thoroughly analyzes the product data using multiple techniques:

🌾 Ingredient Analysis

We check every ingredient against a comprehensive database of gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, triticale) and their derivatives (malt, brewer's yeast, wheat starch, etc.)

🏆 Certification Recognition

We recognize 9 major gluten-free certifications (GFFP < 5 ppm, GFCO < 10 ppm, NSF, AOECS, Coeliac UK, Beyond Celiac/BRCGS, Canadian Celiac Association, AFDIAG, and generic certified gluten-free) with different PPM testing standards

⚠️ Allergen Warnings

We detect "may contain" warnings and cross-contamination alerts in allergen statements

📊 Confidence Scoring

We assign a confidence score based on data completeness and certainty of our analysis

4

✅ Display Safety Recommendation

Based on our analysis, we provide a color-coded safety recommendation:

✓ Safe

No gluten detected, or certified gluten-free

⚠ Caution

May contain traces, cross-contamination risk

✗ Unsafe

Contains gluten ingredients

? Unknown

Insufficient data to make determination

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

While we strive for accuracy, Celiac Safe is a tool to assist you - not a replacement for careful label reading and verification. We recommend:

  • Always read the physical product label yourself before consuming
  • Contact manufacturers directly for critical dietary needs
  • Report any errors you find using the "Report Issue" button
  • Product formulations can change - check labels on every purchase

Ready to try it out?

Start Scanning Products