SafeEat - User Manual

1) What SafeEat does

SafeEat helps you make more informed food choices by analyzing what you scan:

• ingredient lists and nutrition labels,
• barcodes on packaged products,
• dishes from a photo,
• restaurant menus,

and comparing it to your Health Profile (allergies, intolerances, dietary restrictions, and preferences).

2) Getting started

2.1 Install & open

Download SafeEat from the App Store or Google Play and open the app.

2.2 Allow permissions (recommended)

• Camera - required to scan labels, barcodes, dishes, and menus.
• Photos (optional) - if you want to upload existing images.
• Notifications (optional) - for helpful reminders or updates (if available).

You can change permissions any time in your phone settings.

2.3 Create your Health Profile

Set up the app to match your needs:

• choose allergens (e.g., peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, gluten/wheat, etc.),
• add intolerances (e.g., lactose),
• add dietary restrictions/preferences (e.g., vegan, low sugar, low sodium),
• optionally add notes ("avoid palm oil", "no artificial sweeteners", etc.).

3) Main scanning modes

SafeEat typically offers a scan/home screen with several options. Choose the mode that matches what you are looking at.

3.1 Scan Nutrition Label & Ingredients (best for packaged foods)

Use when: you have a product with an ingredient list and nutrition panel.

How to scan:

1. Open Scan → Label / Ingredients.
2. Point the camera at the ingredients list or nutrition facts.
3. Make sure text is clear, flat, and well lit (avoid glare).
4. Capture the image or let auto-capture work (if enabled).
5. Review results.

What you'll see:

• detected ingredients (as recognized from the label),
• flagged allergens (based on your health profile),
• nutrition highlights (depending on availability),
• notes if the text was incomplete or unclear.

3.2 Scan Barcode (fast for retail products)

Use when: the product has a barcode.

How to scan:

1. Open Scan → Barcode.
2. Point the camera at the barcode until it is recognized.
3. Confirm the product name and review results.

Notes:

• Some products may not be available in the database in your region.
• Product data can change over time; always verify the label on the package.

3.3 Scan Any Product (packaged or unpackaged)

Use when: you're scanning a food item without a clear label (e.g., fruit, bakery item, unpackaged product).

How to scan:

1. Open Scan → Product / Food item.
2. Take a clear photo of the item.
3. Review the identified item and the guidance.

Limitations:

• Without a label, SafeEat can only provide general informational guesses.
• Hidden ingredients (e.g., coatings, fillings) may not be detectable from a photo.

3.4 Dish Recognition (photo of a meal)

Use when: you have a prepared meal (homemade, restaurant, delivery).

How to scan:

1. Open Scan → Dish.
2. Take a photo with good lighting.
3. If possible, take an additional angle (top + side) for complex dishes.
4. Review predicted dish/ingredients and warnings.

What you'll see:

• predicted dish type,
• probable ingredients,
• flagged risks vs your Health Profile.

3.5 Restaurant Menu Scan

Use when: you want to choose safer options before ordering.

How to scan:

1. Open Scan → Menu.
2. Point the camera at the menu (printed or screen).
3. Capture a clear image, ideally one section at a time.
4. Review which items may conflict with your Health Profile.

4) Understanding results

SafeEat results are meant to be simple and actionable.

4.1 Typical flags

• ✓ Safe / Matches profile (based on scanned info)
• ⚠ Contains / May contain allergen or restricted ingredient
• ? Unknown / Unclear (insufficient information from the scan)
• ⚡ Potential risk (common hidden ingredients or dish uncertainty)

4.2 Why results can be "Unknown"

• text is blurry or incomplete,
• label/menu is missing details,
• dish ingredients are not visible in a photo,
• manufacturer/restaurant changed the recipe,
• product is not in the barcode database.

Whenever you see "Unknown" - treat it as a reason to verify, not as approval.

5) Your Safe List / Avoid List (personal library)

Use lists to speed up everyday decisions.

5.1 Save items

• Save "safe" items you trust (still verify if packaging changes).
• Save "avoid" items that don't fit your profile.

5.2 Use lists while shopping

Open your saved library to quickly compare new scans against what you already know.

6) Best practices for safety (especially allergies)

7) Troubleshooting

7.1 Scan doesn't recognize text

• move into brighter light,
• avoid glare (tilt slightly),
• hold steady and closer,
• scan smaller portions (ingredients section only).

7.2 Barcode not recognized

• clean the barcode area,
• try different distance,
• ensure good lighting,
• the product may not exist in the database - use label scan instead.

7.3 Dish recognition seems wrong

• retake with better lighting,
• capture another angle,
• for mixed dishes, try menu scan or ask for ingredients.

8) Privacy & data controls (quick overview)

• Your Health Profile and scans may be processed to provide personalized results.
• You can review details in the Privacy Policy.
• You can request deletion through the app (if available) or by email: support@safeeat.app ("Delete my data").

9) Support and feedback

If something looks incorrect or you want to report a problem, contact: support@safeeat.app

When reporting issues, include:

• screenshots of results,
• the original photo you scanned,
• product name/brand/country (if known),
• what you believe is incorrect.

10) Legal note (short)