- Can I rely on FoodSignal if I have a food allergy?
- No, and we will never claim you can. We show the label information we hold, which may be out of date or may describe another country's recipe. Always read the packaging in your hand. We deliberately never say a food is safe — only what a declaration said, and what we did not find in it.
- Why does it say a product 'may contain' something?
- Because the label does. A 'may contain' line is a voluntary statement about the risk of cross-contamination in the factory. It is a different statement from a declared ingredient, and we show it separately.
- What happens when a recipe changes?
- Manufacturers usually keep the same barcode when they reformulate. We record the new recipe and keep the old one, with the dates, so you can see what changed.
- Why is there no overall health score?
- Because it would not mean anything. How a food fits your diet depends on quantity, frequency, everything else you eat, and your own circumstances. We show the declared figures against published thresholds and name the scheme.
- Where does your data come from?
- Openly licensed food databases, government nutrition data, European Commission additive and allergen material, manufacturer information and our own editorial work. Every record carries its source and licence. See the sources page.
- What if a product is missing?
- Tell us — you can send the packaging details straight from the app. It costs you nothing, and we prioritise the products people actually scan.
- What does it cost?
- Five analyses free when you join, then €1.99 a month. A failed scan or a product we do not hold never counts against your free analyses.
- Do you work outside Ireland?
- Yes, but Ireland is where coverage is deepest, followed by the UK and the EU. Where we hold several national recipes we show the one most relevant to you.
