Apps, Food

Food Allergies: Apps to Help You Stay Safe

By Sofia Hernandez
January 19, 2022

Have food allergies? Companies are making apps that let you scan your food choices or locate restaurants that prepare allergy-friendly meals.

When you have severe food allergies, every trip to the grocery store can feel like a minefield. In addition, every dinner out might feel like a threat rather than a treat. If this is an issue for you, here are five apps you should consider installing.

1. ContentChecked: Checks for Allergens

ContentChecked is a company that creates mobile apps. They create apps for consumers who want to avoid certain allergies and substances. The company’s first product is the ContentChecked app. It scans barcodes and tells you whether the food in question includes the allergens you’ve pre-selected.

The app’s database comprises the great majority of grocery store products. In addition, it scans them for a variety of allergens. This includes the “big eight” food allergens as well as less common allergens including celery, mustard, and sulfites.

SugarChecked is another product from ContentChecked. It checks for added sugar, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohol. Finally, MigraineChecked is a service that searches for substances related to migraines. It will check for additives and chemical compounds that have been linked to migraines.

iPhone and Android users can download the apps. The price of ContentChecked is $2.99.

2. MyFoodFacts: Scans for Allergens

Another app is MyFoodFacts. This app allows users to scan product barcodes to check for allergens. There are a total of 12 probable allergens.

First, you enter your family’s allergen list into the app. After that, you scan the bar code. The app then displays an easy-to-read list of components (in a huge font, unlike most ingredient lists) as well as allergy warnings. The software may also notify you if a product has a specific ingredient.

MyFoodFacts costs $1.19 and is available for iPhone.

3. AllergyEats Mobile App

AllergyEatsMobile lets users search for eateries around them and delivers a list graded on allergy-friendliness.

If you’re visiting a new city, the app can help you find allergy-friendly eateries that are close by. Paul Antico founded the AllergyEats website in 2010. He did so after having trouble locating suitable eateries for his three children with food allergies.

AllergyEatsMobile is a free app for iPhone and Android devices.

4. EMNet FindER: The app with a map.

The Massachusetts General Hospital’s EMNet FindER app is free software that helps users to locate the nearest emergency room. The database is extensive and nationwide in scope.

The app displays neighboring hospital locations on a map. In addition, it shows a bar at the bottom of the screen that reads “The next emergency room is X miles away. For directions, tap here.” Furthermore, it also provides regularly updated addresses and phone information. If you have food allergies and are traveling, having this information on your phone is essential.

This is a free iPhone app.

5. iAvoid Food Allergy

iAvoid Food Allergy was created by a healthcare provider. It does not provide particular product information. Instead, you select your allergen, and the app provides you with the various ingredient names as well as locations where the allergen can be located.

In addition, it explains, for example, that peanuts can be found in ingredient lists under nine distinct names. Further, it includes a list of goods that always or regularly contain peanuts.

iAvoid Food Allergy is a free iPhone app.

6. iEatOut Gluten and Allergen Free

Allergy Free Passport and iEatOut Gluten Free are apps that seek to help people with food allergies, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They help them locate safe places to eat out.

You choose which allergens you want to stay away from. After you download the app, you pick from a list of allergens. This list includes gluten/wheat, eggs, dairy, shellfish, fish, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. The program then shows you ethnic cuisines where you can look for elements to avoid.

If you have a soy allergy and wish to dine at a Chinese restaurant, for example, it will highlight Chinese cuisines and products that commonly contain soy sauce. If you have a dairy allergy and want to eat at an Italian restaurant, it will warn you about cheese-containing ingredients and dishes.

The iPhone and iPad app iEatOut Gluten Free and Allergen Free costs $2.99. It also works offline, so you may use it when traveling internationally and save paying roaming fees.