What Ingredio does—and what it does not do.
Ingredio is an informational ingredient-label reader for iPhone. These answers explain how no-barcode scanning, personal Watchlist matches, references, and privacy work before you rely on a result.
Does Ingredio need a barcode?
No. You can start from a clear photo of the printed ingredient list. If a barcode is present, Ingredio may use public product data as additional context, but the barcode is optional.
What does a Watchlist match mean?
It means recognized visible label text matched a term you selected. A match is a text-finding aid—not a health, safety, allergy, or suitability decision.
Can Ingredio detect undeclared ingredients or cross-contact?
No. Ingredio can only assist with text that is visible on the package or available in referenced product data. It cannot detect undeclared ingredients, manufacturing cross-contact, or everything that may matter to a particular person.
Can OCR make mistakes?
Yes. Glare, blur, curves, folds, small type, unusual fonts, and image quality can affect recognized text. Compare spelling, line breaks, and every result with the complete current package label.
What are ingredient references?
They are plain-language starting points for understanding unfamiliar terms. They are not medical, regulatory, or individualized advice and do not determine whether a product is appropriate for you.
Can Ingredio help with imported or unfamiliar labels?
It can help structure visible ingredient text even when a barcode database has no result. OCR and translation can still be incomplete or wrong, so keep the original label available and verify it directly.
How does Ingredio process a label scan?
OCR begins on the device. Recognized text is sent for processing, and a compressed image may be sent when OCR confidence is very low. Read the Privacy Policy for retention, account, and deletion details.
Ingredio is an informational label-reading tool. OCR and reference data may contain errors; always verify the complete package label.