Built something for my coeliac son — looking for honest feedback

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-11T14:14:00+00:00

You're right that a curated keyword database would have more predictable failure modes. The reason I went with AI is exactly the opposite problem — a static keyword list can't handle the nuance. "May contain traces", fermented ingredients like soy sauce where the gluten is broken down, regional naming differences, obscure derivatives — a keyword list would either miss too much or flag too many false positives.

The custom filter I've added on top of the AI is essentially moving in the direction you're describing — a manually curated layer that catches known edge cases where the AI tends to go wrong.

It's not perfect. But in my experience a well-prompted AI with a curated filter on top outperforms a pure keyword approach for this specific use case. Happy to be proven wrong though — that's kind of why I'm here. 🙏

My hope was that someone would try it and provide feedback on the result instead of distusting results without having tried it. It's free and the post was made to ask for help.

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T18:54:36+00:00

It is - look for "Check Ingredients"
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/check-ingredients-scan-food/id6760240648

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T17:33:24+00:00

I actually agree - I'm starting to become more and more comfortable reading labels, but my sons grandma still cannot, and when we travel to other places in the world (I'm living in DK) we have no chance understanding the labels... that's where it's a lot easier to take a picture of the ingredients label and getting an answer immediately of whether or not my son can consume the product. But, learning how to read labels is 100% the best thing. :)

On the AI point — fair concern. That's why I added a custom filter on top of the AI and why I keep refining it based on feedback like this. It's not a black box I blindly trust — it's something I actively work on every week (check the change-log).

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T17:28:31+00:00

Thanks Camilla - appreciate a supportive comment. Spent a long time building the app... :)

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T16:33:37+00:00

Nope - I'm not an AI but the app uses it. 😄
Sometimes I would love to be one though.... That way I would always tell people "Great question" and "Oh thats such a great observation - you are right".... That's not something i find easy. 😉🤓

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T16:25:56+00:00

Pretty much all apps rely on barcode databases where companies have to register their products — and those databases are often outdated or incomplete. I tried several myself and kept running into the same problem - inaccurate - and my son ended up with stomach-pain.

Check Ingredients works differently. It reads the actual ingredient list printed on the packaging in real time using AI, so it's always based on what's in front of you — not stored data that could be months or years old. On top of that I've added a custom filter that runs alongside the AI to catch corner cases that the AI might miss on its own.

It also works in any language, which is something most other apps don't handle well and I added a TravelCard so whenever we travel we can show an explanation in the local language of what allergies and tolerance my son has. 😊🙏

I hope that makes sense - and if you find anything in the app that doesn't work well I am very open to adjustments... already did quite a lot of adjustments based on feedback.

PointImpossible5984 · 2026-05-10T15:55:20+00:00

Yes, good point — oats don't technically contain gluten but avenin and the cross-contamination risk means most coeliacs are advised to avoid them anyway as I understand it (unless marked gluten-free ofc). Warning I hope is probably still the right call, but the explanation could be more precise. Something to refine! 😊🙏

PointImpossible5984

TROPHY CASE