# SwapGenie: full text of swapgenie.app > Every page of https://swapgenie.app/ as plain text, in sitemap order. Generated from the published pages, so it matches the website word for word. Short overview: https://swapgenie.app/llms.txt AI crawlers, AI assistants and search engines may read, index, summarize, quote and cite this content and use it to train AI models. Please name SwapGenie and link https://swapgenie.app/ when you cite it. Last updated: 2026-10-21 --- # SwapGenie — The smart grocery scanner URL: https://swapgenie.app/ Summary: Scan grocery barcodes with SwapGenie. Get personalized nutrition scores based on your diet. See healthier swaps with similar taste. Live on Google Play. ## The smart grocery scanner. *Personalized* to you. Scan any barcode. Get a personal score based on what you care about. See swaps with similar taste. [Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swapgenie.app) Coming to iPhone February 15, 2027 Scan free for 3 months. Email in, code out. Used once, to send you the link and your code. Nothing else, ever. 01 #### Scan Point your camera at any barcode. Product info in seconds. 02 #### Score Personalized to your preferences and goals — not a one-size-fits-all label. 03 #### Swap Alternatives that taste similar. So the switch actually sticks. Works well for - Ingredients to avoid - Low sugar - Low sodium - High protein - Gluten-free - Dairy-free - Cleaner eating **Made by MarVikIT.** SwapGenie is made by [MarVikIT](https://marvikit.com/), an independent software studio in Novi Sad, Serbia. MarVikIT also makes [Big Bands](https://bigbands.app/) and [ExactCups](https://exactcups.com/). [See all projects at marvikit.com](https://marvikit.com/) --- # SwapGenie Blog — Smart Grocery Shopping, Nutrition & Food Labels URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/ Summary: Learn how to read nutrition labels, spot hidden ingredients, and shop smarter. Expert guides from SwapGenie — the personalized grocery scanner app. ## The *SwapGenie* Blog Expert guides on nutrition labels, hidden ingredients, and how to shop smarter. Everything you need to know to make better choices at the grocery store. ### [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) Grocery scanner apps compared honestly: how each one scores food, who it suits, and what it costs. Plus why a personal score beats one score for everyone. Comparisons · 9 min read ### [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) Learn to decode serving sizes, added sugars, and marketing tricks. Everything on a nutrition label, explained — and the parts food companies hope you'll skip. Nutrition · 9 min read ### [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) If you're lactose intolerant or dairy-free, "no milk" on the front label isn't enough. Here's every sneaky dairy ingredient hiding in your groceries — and how to spot them. Allergens · 7 min read ### [What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels?](https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/) Seed oils are everywhere in processed food. Here's what they actually are, the honest health debate, and how to find (and avoid) them if you want to. Ingredients · 7 min read ### [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) The NOVA system sorts food into 4 categories based on how much it's been processed. Here's what each group means, why it matters, and how to shop from it. Food Science · 8 min read ### [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) Small, sustainable swaps beat dramatic diets. Here are 5 easy grocery changes that taste similar to what you already buy — but score much better on your health. Practical · 6 min read --- # Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/ Summary: Looking for a Yuka alternative? An honest comparison of grocery scanner apps: SwapGenie, Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved and Open Food Facts. Scores, allergens, family profiles and prices. ## Yuka Alternatives: *SwapGenie* vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts MarVikIT · October 2026 · 9 min read Yuka made grocery scanning mainstream. Point your phone at a barcode, get a score from 0 to 100, and see whether a product is "excellent" or "poor". It's quick, it's free to start, and millions of people use it. But Yuka gives everyone the same score. A jar of hazelnut spread gets one number, whether you're shopping for yourself, for a child with a nut allergy, or for a partner who avoids palm oil. If that's why you're looking for a Yuka alternative, this guide compares the main grocery scanner apps side by side: **SwapGenie, Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved and Open Food Facts**, plus a few others worth knowing. Full disclosure: we make SwapGenie. So we've kept the comparison to facts you can check, and we say where other apps are ahead. ##### The short answer **SwapGenie** if you want a score that's personal to you and each person you shop for. **Yuka** if you want one general rating and also scan cosmetics. **Fig** if you follow a long or unusual list of dietary restrictions. **Bobby Approved** if you want to follow Bobby Parrish's ingredient standards. **Open Food Facts** if you want free, open data and to add missing products yourself. ### Why people look for a Yuka alternative Most people who switch from Yuka aren't unhappy with the app. They've run into one of three limits: - **One score for everyone.** Yuka rates the product, not the product for you. A cereal with gluten can rate "good" on Yuka and still be the wrong pick for someone who avoids gluten. - **Allergen alerts are a paid extra.** Yuka's alerts (for example gluten, lactose or palm oil) are part of Yuka Premium. - **Shopping for more than one person.** Families often have different needs in one cart: one person avoids dairy, another wants low sugar. Yuka's help pages don't describe separate profiles for family members (checked October 2026). Grocery scanner apps have grown up around these gaps. Some go deep on dietary restrictions, some follow one expert's standards, and some, like SwapGenie, make the score itself personal. ### Grocery scanner apps compared at a glance | App | What the score is | Personal to you? | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **SwapGenie** | 0–100, worked out for each person from their allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal, plus processing (NOVA) and Nutri-Score | Yes. A score for you and for each family member | Free (unlimited scans, 8 allergens). Pro: 14-day free trial, then $4.99/month in the US, local prices elsewhere | | **Yuka** | 0–100, the same for everyone: 60% nutrition, 30% additives, 10% organic | The score isn't. Premium adds alerts | Free. Premium is a yearly subscription (roughly $10–20 a year) | | **Fig** | Whether a product fits your dietary restrictions | Yes. Over 2,800 restrictions to choose from | Free. Fig+ is a paid subscription | | **Bobby Approved** | Approved or not, by Bobby Parrish's ingredient standards | No. One standard for everyone | Free | | **Open Food Facts** | Nutri-Score (A–E) and NOVA group (1–4) for each product | No. The same grades for everyone | Free, run by a non-profit | ### SwapGenie vs Yuka #### How Yuka scores a product Yuka's own help pages explain the method: **60% of the score is nutritional quality, 30% is additives and 10% is whether the product is organic**. If a product contains an additive Yuka rates as high risk, its score is capped at 49. The result is one score per product, shown in four bands from "excellent" to "poor". That's a clear, consistent system, and it's why Yuka is easy to trust at a glance. It's also why it can't tell you whether a product suits *you*. Yuka Premium adds alerts for things like gluten, lactose, sulfites, soy and palm oil, along with search and an offline mode. The alerts sit on top of the score; the score stays the same for everyone. #### How SwapGenie scores a product SwapGenie starts every product at 100 and checks it against the profile you set: your allergens, the ingredients you avoid (lifestyle choices) and your nutrition goal. Then it adds the product's processing level and Nutri-Score. Every point it takes away comes with a reason you can tap and read. So the same jar of hazelnut spread can score very differently for two people. For someone with a nuts allergen set, it gets a red flag and loses 40 points. For someone who only avoids seed oils, it might lose a few points for processing and Nutri-Score. Same product, honest answer for each person. With **family profiles** (SwapGenie Pro), you add up to 4 more people, each with their own allergens and goals. Scan once and see a score for everyone, with one line that sums it up: "No flags for anyone", or "Not for: Mom". #### Where Yuka is ahead - **Database size.** Yuka says it covers millions of food and cosmetic products. SwapGenie reads Open Food Facts and USDA FoodData Central, which are large but have gaps for some regional products. - **Cosmetics.** Yuka scans beauty and personal care products too. SwapGenie is food and drink only. - **iPhone today.** Yuka is on iPhone and Android. SwapGenie is on Android now, with the iPhone version planned for February 15, 2027. - **Yearly price.** Yuka Premium is billed yearly and costs less over a year than SwapGenie Pro, which is billed monthly. (On SwapGenie, allergen checks such as gluten, lactose and soy are free; on Yuka, alerts are part of Premium.) #### Where SwapGenie is ahead - **A personal score.** The number itself changes with your profile, not just an alert on top of a general score. - **Allergens on the free tier.** Gluten, dairy, nuts & peanuts, eggs, soy, shellfish, sesame and lactose are free. Corn and sulfites are in Pro. - **Family profiles.** A score and a reason for each person, in one scan. - **Swaps that fit everyone.** Suggestions are checked against every family member's flags, with products sold in your country shown first. - **Transparent rules.** Every allergen and flag has an "Includes" list of the ingredient names SwapGenie looks for. The scoring rules are published below. - **NOVA and Nutri-Score both count.** NOVA, widely used in food research to measure processing, and Nutri-Score, the front-of-pack grade used in several European countries, both feed into the score. - **Ingredients read in 7 languages**: English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Serbian, which helps with imported products. - **Your data stays on your phone.** No account, no ads. Your profile, family members and scan history are never sent to us. ##### Try the personal score on your own groceries SwapGenie is free on Google Play: unlimited scans, a personal 0–100 score and 8 allergens, with no account and no ads. Scan the products you already buy and see how they score for you. [Get SwapGenie on Google Play →](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swapgenie.app) ### SwapGenie vs Fig Fig is built around dietary restrictions, and it goes deep: it lets you pick from more than 2,800 of them, from common allergies to specific diets. If your list is long or unusual, Fig is worth a look. Its paid tier, Fig+, adds profiles for more than one person ("Multiple Figs"). SwapGenie takes a different approach. Instead of a fits or doesn't-fit answer, it gives a 0–100 score that combines your allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal with how processed the product is (NOVA) and its Nutri-Score. Then it suggests swaps with a similar taste. If you want to know not just "can I eat this?" but "is there a better pick on the same shelf?", that's the gap SwapGenie fills. ### SwapGenie vs Bobby Approved Bobby Approved is a free app built on the ingredient standards of Bobby Parrish, the creator behind FlavCity. Scan a product and it tells you whether it meets his standards, and suggests approved alternatives. It's simple, and if you already follow his content, it fits right in. The difference is whose rules you follow. Bobby Approved applies one person's standards to everyone. SwapGenie applies yours, and a different set for each person in your family. ### SwapGenie vs Open Food Facts Open Food Facts is the free, open food database run by a non-profit, built by volunteers who add products and photos. Its app shows each product's Nutri-Score and NOVA group. It's also one of the main data sources behind SwapGenie, so this one is less "versus" and more "together". Use the Open Food Facts app to read the raw data and to add products that are missing. Use SwapGenie when you want that data turned into a personal score, family results and swap suggestions. If SwapGenie can't find a product, it links you to the Open Food Facts app so you can add it in a few photos. ### Other grocery scanner apps A few more names come up when people search for apps like Yuka. **Fooducate** grades foods and is popular for diet tracking. **EWG's Healthy Living** app, from the Environmental Working Group, covers food and personal care products. We haven't compared them in detail here, but the same question applies to every app on this list: is the score about the product in general, or about you? ### How SwapGenie scores a product: the full rules No black box. These are the rules every SwapGenie score follows: | Rule | Effect on the score | | --- | --- | | Starting score | 100 | | Each of your allergens found in the ingredients | −40 (red flag) | | Each lifestyle choice found (for example seed oils, food dyes, MSG) | −10 (amber flag) | | Your nutrition goal not met (for example too much sugar for "Low sugar") | −15 (amber flag) | | Processing level, NOVA group 2 / 3 / 4 | −5 / −10 / −15 | | Nutri-Score C / D / E | −5 / −10 / −20 | | No ingredient list available, with filters set | Score capped at 60, and SwapGenie says it can't check | | Final score | Between 0 and 100 | Allergens are found in the ingredient text and in Open Food Facts' allergen tags, which helps with products labelled in other languages. When the ingredient list is missing, SwapGenie tells you it can't check instead of guessing. It reads what's on the label data, so always check the package too. ### SwapGenie Free vs Pro | Feature | Free | Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Barcode scans | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Personal 0–100 score with reasons | Yes | Yes | | Allergens | Gluten, dairy, nuts & peanuts, eggs, soy, shellfish, sesame, lactose | Plus corn and sulfites | | Lifestyle choices | Seed oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, MSG | Plus palm oil, carrageenan, nitrates & nitrites | | Nutrition goals | Low sugar, low sodium, high protein, low saturated fat | Plus high fiber, low carb, low calorie, Mediterranean | | Swap suggestions | 3 a day | Unlimited | | Family profiles | You | You plus up to 4 more people | | NOVA and Nutri-Score | Yes | Yes | | Scan history, stored on your phone | Yes | Yes | | Ads | None | None | | Price | Free | 14-day free trial, then $4.99/month in the US (Google Play shows your local price) | ### Which grocery scanner app should you pick? - **You have allergies or shop for a family with different needs:** SwapGenie. - **You want one quick general rating, and you scan cosmetics too:** Yuka. - **You follow a long or rare list of restrictions:** Fig. - **You follow Bobby Parrish's standards:** Bobby Approved. - **You want open data and to add missing products:** Open Food Facts. Plenty of people use two: Open Food Facts to add a missing product, and a scanner app for the everyday shop. If personal scores and family shopping matter to you, SwapGenie is the one built for it. ##### One scan, a score for everyone you shop for Set your allergens, lifestyle choices and goal once. SwapGenie checks every scan against them, shows the reasons, and suggests swaps with a similar taste. Pro adds family profiles for up to 4 more people, unlimited swaps and more allergens, flags and goals, with a 14-day free trial. [See how SwapGenie works →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What is the best alternative to Yuka? It depends on what you need. SwapGenie is the best Yuka alternative if you want a score that's personal to you and to each person you shop for, with allergen checks included for free. Fig suits long or unusual lists of dietary restrictions. Bobby Approved follows Bobby Parrish's ingredient standards. Open Food Facts is the free, open database many scanner apps, including SwapGenie, read from. #### How is SwapGenie different from Yuka? Yuka gives every product one score for everyone: 60% nutrition, 30% additives and 10% organic. SwapGenie gives a 0–100 score for each person, based on their allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal, plus the product's NOVA processing level and Nutri-Score. Every point taken away comes with a reason. SwapGenie also supports family profiles and suggests swaps checked against everyone's flags. #### Is SwapGenie free? Yes. The free version includes unlimited scans, the personal 0–100 score, 8 allergens (gluten, dairy, nuts & peanuts, eggs, soy, shellfish, sesame, lactose), 5 lifestyle flags, 4 nutrition goals and 3 swap suggestions a day, with no ads. SwapGenie Pro has a 14-day free trial, then costs $4.99 a month in the US (local prices elsewhere) and adds family profiles, unlimited swaps, and more allergens, flags and goals. #### Can I use SwapGenie for my whole family? Yes, with SwapGenie Pro. Add up to 4 more people, each with their own allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal. One scan shows a score for everyone and a single line such as "Not for: Mom". Swap suggestions are checked against every family member's flags. Family profiles stay on your phone. #### Does Yuka have allergen alerts? Yes, in Yuka Premium. Its alerts cover a set list, for example gluten, lactose, sulfites, soy and palm oil. The alerts don't change Yuka's score, which stays the same for everyone. In SwapGenie, allergens are free and change the score itself. #### Is SwapGenie available on iPhone? SwapGenie is available on Android through Google Play now. The iPhone version is planned for the App Store on February 15, 2027. ### Sources - Yuka: [How are food products rated?](https://help.yuka.io/l/en/article/ijzgfvi1jq) (Yuka help center) - Fig: [Fig: Food Scanner & Discovery](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fig) (Google Play listing) - [Open Food Facts](https://world.openfoodfacts.org/) - SwapGenie: [Google Play listing](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swapgenie.app) and the [NOVA guide](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) on this blog *Details of other apps were checked in October 2026 on their own help pages and store listings and can change. Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved, Open Food Facts, Fooducate and EWG's Healthy Living belong to their owners; SwapGenie and MarVikIT aren't affiliated with them. SwapGenie gives information, not medical advice.* Related reading - [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) - [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) - [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) - [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) --- # How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026) | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/ Summary: Learn how to read nutrition labels like a pro. Decode serving sizes, added sugars, ingredient lists, and marketing tricks food companies use. Updated 2026 FDA guide. ## How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete *Guide* (2026) MarVikIT · Updated September 2026 · 9 min read Nutrition labels are one of the few tools you have at the grocery store to know what's actually in your food. But they're also designed to be scanned quickly — and food companies know exactly which parts you'll skip. This guide walks through every section of a standard FDA nutrition facts label, what actually matters, and the marketing tricks used to make products look healthier than they are. By the end, you'll be able to look at any packaged food and know within about 20 seconds whether it fits your goals. ### Start with the serving size (or every other number is a lie) The single most important line on a nutrition label is the **serving size**. Every other number — calories, sugar, sodium, fat, protein — is calculated *per serving*, not per package. This is where most people get misled. A 20-ounce bottle of soda often lists "100 calories" per serving — but the bottle contains 2.5 servings. The real total is 250 calories. A pint of ice cream that shows "230 calories" per serving actually contains 4 servings, meaning the whole container is 920 calories. Some snack packages list absurdly small servings (10 chips, half a cookie) to keep the calorie number low. **What to do:** Look at serving size first. Compare it to how much you'd actually eat. If the "serving" is unrealistically small, multiply every other number by however many servings you'll really consume. ### Calories per serving — but in context Calories tell you how much energy a food provides, but a calorie number in isolation means nothing. 200 calories from a handful of almonds and 200 calories from a soda have completely different effects on your hunger, blood sugar, and long-term health. The FDA uses a 2,000-calorie daily reference for the label's percent daily values. Your actual needs depend on your age, size, activity level, and goals — but 2,000 calories is a reasonable middle-ground estimate for most adults. ### The nutrients to limit The top section of the nutrition facts panel (right below calories) lists nutrients you generally want to keep *low*: saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars. The FDA highlights these because most Americans get too much of them. | Nutrient | Daily limit (2,000 cal) | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | | **Saturated fat** | Less than 20g | Linked to raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk. | | **Trans fat** | 0g | No safe level. Banned in many countries; still allowed in trace amounts in the US. | | **Sodium** | Less than 2,300mg | Higher intake linked to elevated blood pressure. | | **Added sugars** | Less than 50g (ideally under 25g) | Different from natural sugars. Excess linked to weight gain, diabetes, and dental problems. | #### Added sugars vs. total sugars — a critical distinction Since 2020, the FDA has required "added sugars" to be listed separately from "total sugars." This was one of the most important label changes in decades. Total sugars includes naturally occurring sugars — like lactose in milk or fructose in fruit — that come with fiber, protein, or micronutrients. Added sugars are the syrups, cane sugar, honey, and concentrates put in during manufacturing. The World Health Organization recommends keeping added sugars below 10% of daily calories (about 50g for a 2,000-calorie diet), and ideally below 5% (25g). A single 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39g of added sugar — nearly the entire recommended daily amount in one drink. ### The nutrients to get more of Further down the label are nutrients most Americans *don't* get enough of: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. High percent daily values here are good. - **Dietary fiber** — aim for 25–35g per day. Supports digestion, blood sugar regulation, and satiety. - **Vitamin D** — 20 mcg daily. Most people are deficient, especially in northern climates. - **Calcium** — 1,300 mg daily. For bone health, not just from dairy — greens, tofu, fortified plant milks all count. - **Iron** — 18 mg daily. Deficiency is common, particularly in women of reproductive age. - **Potassium** — 4,700 mg daily. Most people fall far short. Helps balance sodium and supports blood pressure. ### The 5/20 rule for percent daily value Every nutrient on the label has a **% Daily Value** number next to it. This tells you how much one serving contributes to a 2,000-calorie daily reference diet. The FDA's official rule of thumb: > 5% or less is low. 20% or more is high. **Aim for low percent daily values** on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. **Aim for high percent daily values** on fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. This single rule replaces most of the mental math when comparing two products. ##### How SwapGenie handles this for you Reading labels for every product in your cart takes time. SwapGenie scans any grocery barcode and instantly scores the product against your personal diet — your allergies, the ingredients you avoid, and your nutrition goals. No mental math, no marketing tricks, just a personal score in seconds. [Learn more about SwapGenie →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### The ingredient list is where the truth lives The nutrition facts panel tells you *how much*. The ingredient list tells you *what*. Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. This is where you spot the tricks food companies play. #### The "sugar in disguise" problem Manufacturers know consumers scan for the word "sugar." So they split sweeteners into multiple types with different names — that way, no single sweetener appears high enough in the list to raise alarms. Watch for: - High-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids - Cane sugar, cane juice, evaporated cane juice, invert sugar - Dextrose, maltose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose - Agave nectar, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup - Barley malt, malt syrup, maltodextrin - Fruit juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate If you add up three or four of these across the ingredient list, sugar is often the top ingredient by weight — even if it doesn't appear that way at first glance. #### Rules of thumb for ingredient lists - **Shorter is usually better.** A yogurt with 4 ingredients is generally a better bet than one with 25. - **Recognizable words are usually better.** If you can't picture what an ingredient is, it's probably a processing aid or preservative. - **First three ingredients matter most.** Those make up the bulk of the product. If sugar or a refined flour is in the top 3, treat accordingly. - **Watch for "contains 2% or less."** Everything after this note is a trace ingredient — but it's still worth scanning for allergens or additives you avoid. ### Marketing claims on the front of the package The *front* of the package is marketing. The *back* is legally required disclosure. Whenever they disagree, believe the back. | Claim on front | What it actually means | | --- | --- | | "Natural" | Not legally defined by the FDA for most foods. Marketing term. Can contain HFCS, GMOs, and heavy processing. | | "Made with real fruit" | Can mean as little as 1% real fruit. Rest may be fruit-flavored corn syrup. | | "Low fat" | 3g of fat or less per serving. Often compensated with added sugar. | | "Sugar free" | Less than 0.5g of sugar per serving. Usually contains artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose). | | "Whole grain" | Must contain some whole grain, but not necessarily as the primary ingredient. "100% whole grain" is stronger. | | "No added sugar" | Legitimate — no sugars added during processing. But natural sugars (fructose, lactose) may still be present. | | "Multigrain" | Contains multiple grains, but they may all be refined. Not the same as whole grain. | | "Fat free" | Less than 0.5g of fat per serving. Usually heavily processed with sugar or starch to replace fat's texture. | ### Allergen declarations Since 2004 (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) and expanded in 2023 to include sesame, US food labels must clearly declare the "Big 9" allergens if present: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Look for a "Contains:" statement below the ingredient list. This is where allergens are called out in plain English (e.g., "Contains: milk, wheat, soy"). This is separate from — and easier to scan than — the full ingredient list. "May contain" statements are voluntary and refer to cross-contamination risk in the facility, not actual ingredients. ### The 20-second label check When you're at the store and don't have time to analyze every product, here's the fastest useful workflow: 1. **Check serving size.** Is it realistic? How many servings will you actually eat? 2. **Scan added sugars.** Under 5g per serving is great, 5–10g is moderate, over 10g is high. 3. **Check sodium.** Under 140mg per serving is low, over 400mg is high. 4. **Look at the first three ingredients.** If any of them are sugar (or a sugar synonym) or a refined grain, factor that in. 5. **Check the "Contains:" line** if you have allergies or avoid specific ingredients. Five checks. Twenty seconds. Enough to make a well-informed choice on most products. ##### Skip the label-reading entirely SwapGenie was built for people who don't want to run through a five-step mental checklist for every item in their cart. Scan a barcode, get a personalized score against your specific diet, and see healthier swaps with a similar taste — in seconds. Free on Google Play. [Try SwapGenie free →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What is the most important thing to look at on a nutrition label? Serving size, first. Every other number on the label — calories, sugar, fat, sodium — is per serving, not per package. A bottle of juice showing 100 calories may actually contain 250 calories if the label lists 2.5 servings. #### What counts as a high or low percent daily value? The FDA rule of thumb: 5% or less of the daily value is low, 20% or more is high. Aim for low percent daily values on things you want to limit (saturated fat, sodium, added sugars) and high percent daily values on things you want more of (fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium). #### Are added sugars different from total sugars? Yes. Total sugars includes naturally occurring sugars (like lactose in milk or fructose in fruit) plus any sugars added during processing. Added sugars are the ones the FDA and WHO recommend limiting — no more than 50 grams per day for a typical 2,000-calorie diet, and ideally under 25 grams. #### How do I read an ingredient list? Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. If sugar (or a sugar synonym like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, or cane juice) appears in the first three ingredients, the product is primarily sugar. Shorter ingredient lists with recognizable names are usually a good sign. #### What does "natural" mean on a food label? In the United States, "natural" is not legally defined by the FDA for most foods. It generally implies no artificial ingredients or added colors, but products labeled "natural" can still contain high-fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients, and heavily processed components. It's a marketing term, not a nutrition claim. Related reading - [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) - [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) - [What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels?](https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/) - [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) - [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) --- # Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/ Summary: Complete list of hidden dairy ingredients — whey, casein, lactose, and more. Essential for lactose intolerance, milk allergy, and dairy-free diets. Updated 2026. ## Hidden *Dairy*: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk MarVikIT · Updated September 2026 · 7 min read If you're lactose intolerant, allergic to milk, or eating dairy-free by choice, the front label of a product is almost useless. "Non-dairy creamer" contains dairy. Deli meat contains dairy. Bread, protein powder, canned tuna, and half the snacks in the pantry can contain dairy — hidden behind ingredient names that don't obviously say "milk." This guide lists every dairy ingredient you'll actually encounter on grocery labels, what each one is, and why food manufacturers use it. If you've ever had an upset stomach from a product that "shouldn't" have milk in it, this is why. ### Why dairy hides everywhere Milk is cheap, functional, and adds appealing texture and flavor. Whey (a byproduct of cheese-making) is one of the most abundant food industry ingredients on the planet, and food companies find creative ways to include it — as a protein booster, texture modifier, or filler. Casein binds and thickens. Lactose adds subtle sweetness and browning. Milk powder extends shelf life. Result: dairy shows up in thousands of products where you wouldn't expect it. Reading the ingredient list is your only reliable defense — the front label often lies by omission. ### The essential hidden dairy list These are the ingredient names that mean "this contains milk." If you have a milk allergy or strict dairy avoidance, treat every one of them as dairy. #### Milk proteins (casein family) - **Casein** — the primary protein in cow's milk. Widely used as a thickener and protein booster. - **Caseinate** — usually listed as calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, or potassium caseinate. Same protein, different salt form. - **Hydrolyzed casein** — casein broken into smaller peptides. Still allergenic. - **Rennet casein** — a form used in processed cheese products. #### Milk proteins (whey family) - **Whey** — the liquid remaining after milk is curdled and strained. Contains lactose and whey proteins. - **Whey protein concentrate (WPC)** — dried whey, high protein. In nearly every protein bar and shake. - **Whey protein isolate (WPI)** — even higher protein, less lactose. Still contains milk proteins. - **Hydrolyzed whey protein** — pre-digested whey. Same allergen status. - **Whey powder** — dried whey used in baked goods, snacks, and desserts. #### Milk sugars and derivatives - **Lactose** — the sugar naturally in milk. Also used as a filler in medications and supplements. - **Milk sugar** — another name for lactose. - **Lactalbumin** — a specific whey protein. - **Lactoglobulin** — another whey protein fraction. - **Lactoferrin** — a protein isolated from whey, used in some functional foods and supplements. #### Whole milk products in disguise - **Milk solids** — dried whole milk. "Non-fat milk solids" and "dry milk solids" both count. - **Milk powder / dry milk / powdered milk** — dehydrated milk, used in bread, chocolate, and instant mixes. - **Nonfat dry milk (NFDM)** — very common in commercial baked goods and processed foods. - **Buttermilk / buttermilk solids** — used in dressings, baked goods, pancake mixes. - **Condensed milk / sweetened condensed milk** — milk reduced with added sugar. - **Evaporated milk** — milk with about 60% of water removed. - **Milk fat / anhydrous milk fat (AMF)** — used to add richness. - **Milk protein concentrate (MPC)** — filtered milk protein blend used in cheese products and protein snacks. - **Milk protein isolate (MPI)** — even more concentrated MPC. #### Fats derived from milk - **Butter** — including "butter solids," "butter fat," and "cultured butter." - **Ghee** — clarified butter. Nearly no lactose or casein, but still dairy. - **Cream / heavy cream / whipping cream** — self-explanatory. - **Sour cream / cultured cream** - **Crème fraîche** — cultured cream, common in European recipes. #### Cheese and cheese byproducts - **Curds / curd** — coagulated milk protein. - **Cheese powder / cheese flavoring** — used in chips, crackers, and boxed mac & cheese. - **Cheese cultures** — bacterial cultures used in cheese production; the product still contains milk. - **Rennet** — enzyme used to curdle milk; usually paired with dairy in ingredient lists. #### Fermented dairy - **Yogurt / yogurt powder / yogurt cultures** - **Kefir** — fermented milk drink. - **Quark** — fresh German cheese. - **Skyr** — Icelandic strained yogurt. ### Ingredients that *sound* like dairy but aren't Some ingredients trip people up because of the name — they sound like dairy but are safe: - **Cocoa butter** — a plant fat from cacao beans. Not dairy. - **Cream of tartar** — a byproduct of winemaking (potassium bitartrate). Not dairy. - **Coconut cream / coconut milk** — from coconuts. Not dairy. - **Peanut butter, almond butter, tahini** — nut/seed pastes. "Butter" is just a texture descriptor. - **Calcium lactate, sodium lactate** — salts of lactic acid. Despite the name, they're usually made from fermented sugar beets or corn, not milk. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer — but most versions are dairy-free. - **Lactic acid** — typically produced by bacterial fermentation of plant sugars. Dairy-free in most cases. - **Cacao nibs / cacao powder** — pure cocoa, no dairy. ##### Skip the ingredient detective work SwapGenie scans grocery barcodes and checks every product against your personal allergen list. Turn on the Dairy flag (or the Lactose flag for lactose intolerance specifically), and every scan flags the dairy ingredients it finds, so you don't have to read the whole list yourself. Always check the package too. [Try SwapGenie →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Where hidden dairy shows up most These are the product categories where dairy hides most often — check labels carefully: | Category | What to watch for | | --- | --- | | **Bread & baked goods** | Milk powder, whey, butter, buttermilk solids. Very common in sandwich bread, brioche, and pastries. | | **Protein bars & shakes** | Whey (protein), casein, milk protein concentrate. Look for pea, soy, or hemp protein alternatives. | | **Deli meats & sausages** | Sodium caseinate as a binder, lactose as a filler. Common in hot dogs and processed lunch meat. | | **"Non-dairy" creamer** | Often contains sodium caseinate. FDA allows the "non-dairy" label if the product has less than 0.5% cream. Read the ingredient list. | | **Chocolate** | Milk chocolate obviously, but even dark chocolate can contain milk fat or milk powder. Look for "70%+ dark, dairy-free." | | **Instant soups & sauces** | Cream, butter, milk powder, cheese powder. Especially anything creamy or "cheesy." | | **Salad dressings** | Ranch, Caesar, blue cheese all contain dairy. Even some vinaigrettes use buttermilk powder. | | **Canned tuna & fish** | Some brands add hydrolyzed casein for texture. Rare but happens — check the label. | | **Medications & supplements** | Lactose is a common filler in tablets. Ask your pharmacist for lactose-free alternatives if needed. | ### Reading the "Contains:" line US law (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, expanded in 2023 to include sesame) requires that if a product contains milk, the label must say so in plain English in a "Contains:" statement below the ingredient list. This is your fastest allergen check. If the "Contains:" line lists milk, the product has dairy — no need to dig through the ingredient list. If it doesn't list milk but you see "may contain milk," that's a cross-contamination warning (the product was made in a facility that also processes dairy), not an actual ingredient. One catch: the "Contains:" statement is only mandatory for the Big 9 allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame). Ingredients like whey or lactose used only as flavor carriers may not always trigger the statement in every jurisdiction. When in doubt, read the full ingredient list. ### Lactose intolerance vs. milk allergy — different games These often get confused, but they're completely different conditions: | | Lactose intolerance | Milk allergy | | --- | --- | --- | | **What triggers it** | Milk sugar (lactose) | Milk proteins (casein, whey) | | **Symptoms** | Digestive: bloating, gas, diarrhea, cramping | Immune: hives, wheezing, anaphylaxis | | **Aged cheese OK?** | Often yes (low lactose) | Never | | **Ghee OK?** | Usually yes (trace lactose) | No (trace casein) | | **Lactose-free milk OK?** | Yes | No (still has proteins) | If you're lactose-intolerant, you have more flexibility — aged cheeses, ghee, and lactose-free products can all be safe. If you have a milk allergy, all dairy is off the table, and even trace exposure can be dangerous. ### Quick reference: dairy-free shopping checklist 1. Check the "Contains:" line first — if milk is listed, skip the product. 2. Scan the ingredient list for any word starting with "milk," "lact-", "case-", or "whey." 3. Watch for "butter," "cream," "cheese," or "ghee" — obvious dairy. 4. Be extra careful with: bread, protein bars, deli meats, "non-dairy" creamers, chocolate. 5. Look for certified "vegan" or "dairy-free" labels — these are voluntary but reliable when present. ##### Never wonder about a product again SwapGenie's ingredient matcher checks for every dairy variant listed above — plus their non-English equivalents. One scan, one clear answer. Free on Google Play. [Try SwapGenie free →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What are the hidden dairy ingredients I should look for? The most common hidden dairy ingredients are whey, casein, caseinate, lactose, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, milk solids, milk powder, buttermilk solids, ghee, curds, and rennet. Whey and casein appear in thousands of processed foods, from protein bars to bread. #### Is casein the same as milk? Casein is a protein found in milk — it makes up about 80% of the protein in cow's milk. If you have a milk allergy or are strictly dairy-free, you need to avoid casein. Casein is not safe for people with milk allergies, and it contains lactose in most forms. #### Does lactose-free mean dairy-free? No. Lactose-free means the milk sugar has been broken down or removed, but the product still contains milk proteins (casein and whey). Lactose-free milk, cheese, and yogurt are safe for lactose-intolerant people but not safe for people with milk allergies or those following a strict dairy-free diet. #### Can lactose-intolerant people eat aged cheese? Many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate aged hard cheeses like Parmesan, aged cheddar, Gruyère, and Pecorino. The aging process breaks down most of the lactose — often to under 1 gram per serving. Fresh cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, and cream cheese are much higher in lactose. #### Are ghee and butter dairy-free? No. Ghee (clarified butter) and butter are both dairy products. Ghee has most of the milk solids removed during clarification, which means it contains very little lactose or casein — many people with lactose intolerance tolerate it. However, ghee is not safe for people with milk allergies, and it is not vegan or dairy-free. Related reading - [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) - [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) - [What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels?](https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/) - [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) - [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) --- # What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels? | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/ Summary: Complete guide to seed oils — what they are, the honest health debate, and how to spot canola, soybean, and sunflower oil on food labels. Updated 2026. ## What Are *Seed Oils*, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels? MarVikIT · Updated September 2026 · 7 min read Seed oils have become one of the most hotly debated topics in nutrition. On one side, mainstream health organizations call them heart-healthy alternatives to saturated fat. On the other, a growing chorus of nutritionists and biohackers blame them for chronic inflammation, weight gain, and metabolic disease. Both sides can cite peer-reviewed research. So who's right? This guide won't pick a side for you. Instead, it explains what seed oils actually are, presents both sides of the health debate fairly, and — regardless of where you land — teaches you how to spot every common seed oil on grocery labels. ### What are seed oils, exactly? Seed oils are cooking oils extracted from the seeds of plants. They differ from oils pressed from fruit (olive, avocado, coconut) or from nuts (walnut, almond) in both source and, typically, production method. Most commercial seed oils go through an industrial process that looks like this: 1. Seeds are cleaned, cracked, and heated to around 100–120°C. 2. They're pressed to extract initial oil. 3. The remaining seed material is soaked in a chemical solvent — usually hexane — to extract the rest of the oil. 4. The oil is then degummed, refined, bleached, and deodorized to remove impurities, off flavors, and color. This is very different from the cold-pressing process used for extra virgin olive oil, which involves crushing olives at temperatures below 27°C without solvents. It's this industrial refinement process — not the plants themselves — that critics point to as problematic. ### The "Hateful Eight" — which oils count as seed oils Popularized by nutrition commentator Dr. Cate Shanahan, the "Hateful Eight" is a nickname for the eight most common industrial seed oils in the American food supply: | Oil | Source seed | Where you'll find it | | --- | --- | --- | | **Canola oil** | Rapeseed (a variety bred for low erucic acid) | Mayo, dressings, restaurant frying, baked goods | | **Soybean oil** | Soybean | Most "vegetable oil" is soybean. In nearly everything processed. | | **Corn oil** | Corn germ | Frying, margarine, some snacks | | **Cottonseed oil** | Cotton plant seed | Restaurant frying, packaged snacks, shortening | | **Sunflower oil** | Sunflower seed | Chips, crackers, "healthy" snack brands | | **Safflower oil** | Safflower seed | Dressings, "natural" packaged foods, snack bars | | **Grapeseed oil** | Grape seeds (a wine industry byproduct) | Cooking oil, dressings, cosmetic products | | **Rice bran oil** | Rice bran | Asian cuisine, high-heat frying, some snacks | Notice what's *not* on this list: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, tallow, and lard. These are either fruit-derived or animal-derived, and are generally considered acceptable even by seed oil critics. ### The honest health debate — both sides This is where most articles get lazy and pick a team. Both sides have real evidence. Here's the fair version: #### The mainstream position: seed oils are heart-healthy The American Heart Association, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and most national dietary guidelines recommend replacing saturated fats (butter, lard, coconut oil) with unsaturated oils — which includes most seed oils. Their reasoning: - Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown in large-scale studies to lower LDL cholesterol when used to replace saturated fat. - Populations that consume more vegetable oils in place of animal fats tend to have lower cardiovascular disease rates. - Modern refining processes are safe by regulatory standards. Trace hexane residues in finished oil are far below levels of concern. - The "seed oils cause inflammation" narrative is not supported by randomized controlled trials in humans — most inflammation-marker changes are inconsistent or small. #### The critical position: seed oils are metabolically harmful A growing group of researchers, functional medicine practitioners, and independent nutritionists disagree. Their arguments: - Human seed oil consumption has increased roughly 1,000x over the past century — an unprecedented dietary shift that maps closely to the rise of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. - The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in the modern diet is heavily skewed (around 20:1 in the US vs. 1:1 in ancestral diets), which some researchers link to chronic inflammation. - The industrial refining process — high heat, solvent extraction, bleaching, deodorizing — creates oxidation byproducts (aldehydes, lipid peroxides) that don't exist in cold-pressed oils. - Reheated seed oils, especially in restaurant fryers, produce even more oxidation compounds — some of which are linked to cardiovascular damage in animal studies. - Traditional cultures with low chronic disease rates use butter, olive oil, tallow, or ghee — not refined seed oils. #### What most experts agree on Amid the noise, there's more agreement than either side admits: - **Whole-food fats beat refined oils.** Olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds themselves are healthier than any bottled refined oil. - **Fried food is worse than the oil it's fried in.** Whatever the oil, deep-fried food is high-calorie, high-oxidation, and best consumed occasionally. - **Ultra-processed foods are the real issue.** Seed oils are a marker for ultra-processed food — but sugar, refined flour, additives, and low nutrient density in those same products matter at least as much. - **Cutting seed oils by eating whole foods works, either way.** Whether you're pro or anti, shifting toward home-cooked whole foods automatically cuts seed oil intake — and everyone agrees that's positive. The takeaway: if seed oils bother you, avoiding them is a reasonable personal choice with genuine mechanistic backing. If you're indifferent, mainstream evidence supports moderate use as part of a balanced diet. Neither position is fringe or unsupported. ##### Track seed oils automatically SwapGenie can flag every seed oil in your scanned products — canola, soybean, sunflower, and all six others — so you can see at a glance which products in your cart contain them. Free, no Pro needed. [See SwapGenie →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### How to spot seed oils on food labels If you want to avoid or reduce seed oils, you have to read ingredient lists. Front-of-package claims like "made with olive oil" often mean a small amount of olive oil is added to a base of much cheaper seed oils. #### Ingredient names to watch for - **Vegetable oil** — vague catch-all, almost always soybean, canola, or a blend. Treat as seed oil unless specified. - **Canola oil / rapeseed oil** - **Soybean oil** — most common in the US food supply - **Sunflower oil** — often "high oleic" version, which is less omega-6-heavy but still industrially refined - **Safflower oil** — same "high oleic" caveat applies - **Corn oil** - **Cottonseed oil** - **Grapeseed oil** - **Rice bran oil** - **Partially hydrogenated [any] oil** — contains trans fats, worse than the base seed oil - **Interesterified oil** — newer processing method, questionable metabolic effects - **"Vegetable shortening"** — usually soybean or cottonseed oil solidified - **Margarine / spreadable "butter" alternatives** — predominantly seed oil base #### The "healthy" packaging trap Many products marketed as premium, organic, or "clean" still use seed oils. Watch out for: - Organic potato chips fried in "high-oleic sunflower oil" - Premium mayo made with "expeller-pressed" canola oil - Plant-based meats containing soybean or sunflower oil - "Healthy" snack bars listing safflower or sunflower oil as the second or third ingredient - Salad dressings advertising "with olive oil" — check whether it's the primary or a minor ingredient "Expeller-pressed" is worth noting: it means the oil was extracted mechanically without hexane, which is a genuine improvement over standard refining. But it doesn't change the underlying fat composition. Critics still object; mainstream nutrition sees no meaningful difference. ### Product categories where seed oils dominate | Category | Seed oil status | | --- | --- | | **Restaurant fried food** | Nearly universal — cheapest cooking fat, high smoke point. | | **Chips & crackers** | Sunflower, canola, cottonseed dominant. "Kettle-cooked" often still uses seed oil. | | **Mayo & salad dressings** | Soybean or canola base for standard brands. Look for olive oil or avocado oil versions. | | **Baked goods** | Cheap cookies, muffins, breads use soybean or canola. Traditional bakeries may use butter. | | **Plant-based meat** | Coconut oil + sunflower oil are standard. | | **Nut butters** | Cheap brands add palm or seed oils as stabilizers. Natural nut butters are just nuts + salt. | | **Granola bars & snack bars** | Sunflower and safflower are frequent. Check ingredients — varies wildly by brand. | | **Frozen meals** | Almost always seed-oil based. Even "healthy" brands. | | **Non-dairy milk** | Some brands add sunflower oil for creaminess. Others don't. Check labels. | ### Better alternatives (whichever side you're on) If you want to reduce seed oils, these are the widely-accepted alternatives for various cooking uses: - **Salad dressings, drizzling, low-heat cooking:** extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil - **High-heat cooking, frying:** avocado oil (high smoke point), ghee, tallow, coconut oil - **Baking:** butter, coconut oil, olive oil (in savory), avocado oil (neutral) - **Spreads:** butter, ghee, olive oil-based spreads (verify ingredients — many "olive oil spreads" are mostly canola) - **Mayo:** avocado-oil mayo brands (Primal Kitchen, Chosen Foods) or homemade ### The pragmatic middle ground > The most defensible position: eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, cook at home more often, use olive oil and butter as your default fats, and don't lose sleep over the occasional restaurant meal. This approach lands somewhere both mainstream nutrition and seed oil critics can nod along to. It doesn't require you to become a purist or a militant label-reader. It just requires you to recognize that most of your seed oil intake comes from ultra-processed and restaurant food — so cutting those cuts most of the exposure automatically. ##### Make the shift easier SwapGenie scans grocery products and flags seed oils in your results — plus every other ingredient you personally want to avoid. See what's in your cart, get healthier swap suggestions with similar taste, and make the switch stick. Free on Google Play. [Try SwapGenie free →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What are seed oils? Seed oils are cooking oils extracted from the seeds of plants, typically through industrial processing that involves high heat, pressure, and chemical solvents like hexane. The most common seed oils are canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, grapeseed, corn, and rice bran oil. They are used extensively in processed foods, restaurant frying, and packaged snacks. #### What are the Hateful Eight seed oils? The "Hateful Eight" is a nickname used by seed oil critics for the eight most common industrial seed oils: canola, corn, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, and rice bran oil. These are the seed oils most heavily used in processed food, restaurant frying, and packaged snacks in the United States. #### Are seed oils actually bad for you? The scientific consensus is nuanced. Mainstream nutrition organizations like the American Heart Association and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health consider seed oils safe and even heart-healthy compared to saturated fats. Critics argue that industrial processing, high omega-6 content, and heavy use in ultra-processed foods make them problematic. What most experts agree on: whole-food fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts are better choices than refined seed oils, and if you eat mostly whole foods, seed oil intake naturally drops. #### Is olive oil a seed oil? No. Olive oil is pressed from the fruit of the olive tree, not from seeds. The same applies to avocado oil, coconut oil, and palm oil — these are all fruit or nut oils, not seed oils. They are generally not included in the "seed oil" category and are considered less problematic by critics. #### How do I avoid seed oils in restaurants? Restaurants overwhelmingly use canola, soybean, or blended vegetable oils for frying because they are cheap. To reduce exposure: ask if they cook in butter, olive oil, or tallow; avoid deep-fried foods; choose grilled, roasted, or steamed dishes; and be cautious of dressings, sauces, and mayo which are typically seed-oil based. Some restaurant chains now advertise "no seed oils" — an emerging trend in 2026. Related reading - [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) - [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) - [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) - [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) - [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) --- # NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/ Summary: The NOVA food classification system explained simply. What each of the 4 NOVA groups means, examples of each, and why ultra-processed foods matter. Updated 2026. ## NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of *Ultra-Processed* Food MarVikIT · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read You've probably heard the phrase "ultra-processed food" more times in the last year than in the decade before. It's everywhere in nutrition headlines, and there's a specific scientific reason for that: a food classification system called NOVA. Unlike calorie counts or nutrient breakdowns, NOVA sorts food by how much industrial processing it's undergone — a framework that's quietly reshaping how researchers, governments, and dietitians think about diet. This guide explains all four NOVA groups clearly, gives real examples of each, and shows how the system can change the way you shop — without turning you into a food purist. ### Where NOVA came from NOVA was developed in 2009 by a team of researchers at the University of São Paulo led by **Dr. Carlos Monteiro**. The team was trying to explain something puzzling: Brazil's rising rates of obesity and diabetes didn't correlate neatly with total calorie intake or specific nutrients. What *did* correlate strongly was the share of the diet coming from a specific category of industrially manufactured products. Rather than analyzing individual nutrients (calories, sugar, fat), NOVA looks at foods as they actually reach consumers — as products made through specific industrial processes. It's now cited by the Pan American Health Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and referenced in national dietary guidelines in Brazil, France, Israel, Peru, Uruguay, and Ecuador. In 2024, the American Heart Association formally recommended limiting ultra-processed foods. ### The four NOVA groups NOVA sorts every food into exactly one of four groups. The dividing lines aren't about how "healthy" a food is — they're about what happens between the farm and your plate. #### Group 1 — Unprocessed and minimally processed foods **What it is:** Foods in their natural state, or altered only by processes that don't add ingredients — like drying, freezing, refrigerating, pasteurizing, grinding, or vacuum packaging. **Examples:** - Fresh, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables - Fresh, chilled, or frozen meat, poultry, and fish (no added ingredients) - Eggs - Fresh, pasteurized, or powdered milk - Plain yogurt (no added sugar or flavoring) - Grains (rice, oats, wheat berries, quinoa, corn) - Dried beans, lentils, chickpeas - Nuts and seeds without added salt or sugar - Spices, herbs, tea, coffee (unsweetened) - Tap or bottled water **The rule of thumb:** If the ingredient list is just the food itself (or nothing at all because it doesn't come in a package), it's Group 1. #### Group 2 — Processed culinary ingredients **What it is:** Substances extracted from Group 1 foods through processes like pressing, refining, grinding, or milling. These are the ingredients you use to cook Group 1 foods into meals. **Examples:** - Vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, canola) - Butter, lard, ghee, cream - Sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses - Salt - Vinegar - Starches (cornstarch, potato starch) **The rule of thumb:** Group 2 items aren't typically eaten alone. You use them *with* Group 1 foods to make meals. NOVA doesn't consider Group 2 harmful — these are traditional culinary ingredients used for thousands of years. Use them in modest amounts and they're fine. #### Group 3 — Processed foods **What it is:** Group 1 foods with Group 2 ingredients added, using techniques like canning, bottling, fermentation, or non-alcoholic fermentation. Usually contains 2–3 ingredients. Made to increase durability or enhance flavor, but the food remains recognizable as coming from Group 1. **Examples:** - Canned vegetables, beans, or fish (with salt only) - Freshly baked bread from a small bakery (flour, water, yeast, salt) - Traditional cheese (milk, salt, rennet, cultures) - Salted or smoked meats and fish (traditionally prepared) - Fruit preserved in syrup, dried, or fermented - Beer, wine, and cider (fermented without distillation) - Traditional yogurt with only milk and cultures **The rule of thumb:** Short ingredient list, recognizable food, produced by traditional techniques. Group 3 foods are considered part of a healthy diet in moderation. #### Group 4 — Ultra-processed foods **What it is:** Industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugars, starches, proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats, modified starch), or synthesized in labs (flavor enhancers, colorants, emulsifiers, preservatives). These products contain little or no whole food. **Examples:** - Soft drinks and energy drinks - Sweetened breakfast cereals - Packaged snacks (chips, cookies, crackers, snack cakes) - Ice cream (industrial) - Mass-produced sliced bread with dough conditioners and preservatives - Chicken nuggets, fish sticks, reconstituted meat products, hot dogs - Instant noodles and instant soups - Pre-prepared frozen meals (pizza, lasagna, entrees) - Flavored yogurts with added sugar, thickeners, and flavoring - Margarine and spreads - Protein bars, meal replacement drinks - Most fast food menu items **The rule of thumb:** If the ingredient list contains 5+ items, includes things you wouldn't have in your kitchen (maltodextrin, soy protein isolate, "natural flavor," xanthan gum, glucose-fructose syrup), and the product wouldn't exist without industrial equipment — it's Group 4. ##### NOVA badges in SwapGenie When Open Food Facts has a NOVA group for a product, SwapGenie shows it as a badge, so you know at a glance whether you're looking at whole food, a traditional ingredient, or an industrial formulation. Free feature — no Pro tier needed. [Explore SwapGenie →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### The 5-second NOVA check You don't need a food science degree to sort a product into a NOVA group. Two questions cover most cases: 1. **Would you recognize every ingredient as food?** If yes, it's probably Group 1, 2, or 3. 2. **Does it contain "cosmetic" additives** (flavors, colors, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners) or industrially produced substances (hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, modified starch, HFCS)? If yes, it's Group 4. Length of ingredient list is a decent secondary signal. Group 1 has zero or one ingredient. Group 3 usually has 2–5 recognizable ingredients. Group 4 typically has 10+ ingredients with several unpronounceable ones. ### Why NOVA matters — the research Multiple large studies have consistently linked high ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption to negative health outcomes, independent of calories, sugar, salt, and fat: - **NutriNet-Santé (France, 100,000+ adults, 2018 and 2019 papers):** A 10% increase in the share of ultra-processed food in the diet was associated with a 12% increase in cancer risk and 14% increase in overall mortality. - **NIH controlled feeding trial (Hall et al., 2019):** Subjects placed on an ultra-processed diet ate about 500 more calories per day than those on a minimally processed diet with matched nutrients — and gained weight. The processing itself, not just the calories, altered their intake. - **Umbrella review, BMJ 2024:** Analyzed 45 meta-analyses and found ultra-processed food consumption linked to 32 negative health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and all-cause mortality. The precise mechanism is still being studied — hypotheses include disruption of satiety signaling by industrial food matrices, effects of specific additives on the gut microbiome, and the sheer palatability of ultra-processed foods driving overconsumption. ### What's the practical target? In the US, ultra-processed foods account for roughly 60% of daily calories on average. In the UK, it's about 57%. In Brazil (where NOVA was developed), around 25%. Traditional Mediterranean-diet cultures hover around 10–15%. > Most nutrition researchers using NOVA target ultra-processed intake below 30% of daily calories as a practical, achievable goal for meaningful health benefits. That's not a purity standard. It means most meals should be built from Group 1 and Group 3 foods, with Group 4 items as occasional additions rather than daily staples. Even shifting from 60% to 40% would show measurable improvements based on the research. ### The NOVA edge cases Some foods are genuinely hard to classify. Here are the ones people ask about most: | Food | Group | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Traditional sourdough from a bakery | Group 3 | Flour, water, salt, wild yeast starter. Short ingredient list, traditional method. | | Wonder Bread | Group 4 | Contains dough conditioners, HFCS, preservatives, added vitamins to replace what processing stripped. | | Plain Greek yogurt | Group 1 | Just milk and cultures. | | Fruit-flavored yogurt | Group 4 | Added sugars, thickeners, natural flavors, colorants — even in "natural" brands. | | Real Parmesan cheese | Group 3 | Milk, salt, rennet, aged traditionally. | | Kraft Singles | Group 4 | Emulsifiers, milk protein concentrate, sodium citrate, colorants. Not legally "cheese" in the US. | | Dark chocolate (70%+, minimal ingredients) | Group 3 | Cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter, maybe vanilla. Traditional confection. | | Milk chocolate candy bar | Group 4 | Added milk solids, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, sometimes hydrogenated oils. | | Plant-based meat (Beyond, Impossible) | Group 4 | Industrial formulation — protein isolates, methylcellulose, coconut oil, added flavors, colorants. | | Home-roasted chicken | Group 1 | Just chicken and seasonings you added. | | Rotisserie chicken from grocery store | Group 3 (usually) | Chicken with added seasonings and salt — check the label for phosphates or "natural flavor" which push it toward Group 4. | ### Common criticisms of NOVA (and honest responses) NOVA has skeptics. Here are the strongest critiques and where they land: - **"It's too binary — some Group 4 foods are fortified with vitamins and are actually nutritious."** True in isolated cases (fortified cereals for populations with nutrient gaps), but epidemiological data consistently shows negative outcomes across the Group 4 category as a whole, even when adjusting for nutrients. - **"The line between Group 3 and Group 4 is fuzzy."** Fair — some products are genuinely borderline. NOVA researchers acknowledge this and provide criteria to sort them (presence of "cosmetic" additives, industrial-only substances). - **"You can eat healthily with some ultra-processed foods."** Absolutely true. NOVA doesn't demand zero UPF. The research supports "less" as beneficial — not "none." - **"Traditional cheese is Group 3 but has more saturated fat than a Group 4 protein bar."** Correct. NOVA is complementary to nutrient analysis, not a replacement. Use both together. ### Using NOVA at the grocery store A workable NOVA-informed shopping approach: 1. Shop the perimeter of the store first — produce, meat, dairy, bakery. Most of these are Group 1 or Group 3. 2. In the aisles, favor short-ingredient products. Canned tomatoes (tomatoes, salt) = Group 3. Canned pasta sauce with 15 ingredients = Group 4. 3. Aim for a cart that's ~70% Group 1 and 3, ~30% Group 4. Better than aiming for perfection and giving up in two weeks. 4. The two highest-leverage swaps are usually: replacing sweetened beverages with water/coffee/tea, and replacing packaged snacks with fruit, nuts, or yogurt. ##### See NOVA groups on every scan SwapGenie shows the NOVA group next to your personal score, and the processing level counts toward the score. The Home screen counts your ultra-processed (NOVA 4) and minimally processed (NOVA 1) scans each week, no spreadsheet needed. Free feature. [Try SwapGenie free →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What is the NOVA food classification system? NOVA is a food classification system developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, led by Dr. Carlos Monteiro. It groups foods into four categories based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing they undergo — not by nutrient content. NOVA is now used by the Pan American Health Organization, the FAO, and cited in dietary guidelines in Brazil, France, Israel, Peru, and other countries. #### What are the 4 NOVA groups? Group 1 is unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, grains). Group 2 is processed culinary ingredients (oils, butter, sugar, salt) used to cook Group 1 foods. Group 3 is processed foods (cheese, canned vegetables, freshly baked bread) made by adding Group 2 ingredients to Group 1 foods. Group 4 is ultra-processed foods — industrial formulations with ingredients you wouldn't have in your kitchen (soft drinks, chips, packaged snacks, instant noodles, most breakfast cereals). #### What counts as ultra-processed food? Ultra-processed foods (NOVA Group 4) are industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in labs — like protein isolates, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and emulsifiers. Common examples include soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged snacks, instant noodles, reconstituted meat products (nuggets, hot dogs), pre-prepared frozen dishes, mass-produced bread, and most fast food. #### Is bread ultra-processed? It depends on the bread. Traditional bread made from flour, water, yeast, and salt is Group 3 (processed food). Mass-produced supermarket bread with added emulsifiers, dough conditioners, high-fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil, and preservatives is Group 4 (ultra-processed). The ingredient list is the key — if it contains ingredients you wouldn't use at home, it's ultra-processed. #### How much ultra-processed food is too much? Research from the Nurses' Health Study, the NutriNet-Santé cohort, and others has linked diets with over 50% of calories from ultra-processed foods to higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression. The average American gets about 60% of daily calories from ultra-processed foods. Reducing to under 30% is a widely-cited practical target, and health improvements have been observed even at modest reductions. Related reading - [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) - [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) - [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) - [What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels?](https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/) - [5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating](https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/) --- # 5 Everyday Grocery Swaps for Healthier Eating (That Actually Stick) | SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/blog/grocery-swaps-healthy-eating/ Summary: 5 practical grocery swaps that taste similar to what you already buy — but score much better on nutrition. Easy healthy food swaps you'll actually make. ## 5 Everyday Grocery *Swaps* for Healthier Eating MarVikIT · Updated September 2026 · 6 min read Most healthy-eating advice fails because it asks too much. Cut all sugar. Give up bread. Never touch a snack again. These heroic overhauls last about two weeks before life pushes back and the whole thing collapses. Swaps work better than overhauls. A swap is small — you replace one product with a similar-tasting healthier version, and everything else in your routine stays the same. No new recipes, no new habits, no willpower required past the moment you drop the item in your cart. Do five of them consistently and you can cut 40 to 60 grams of added sugar per day without ever feeling like you're "on a diet." Here are five that punch above their weight — each chosen because the healthier version genuinely tastes similar enough that the switch actually sticks. ### Swap 1: Flavored yogurt → Plain Greek yogurt + fresh fruit **What you're currently buying:** Strawberry Yoplait, vanilla Chobani flavored, Activia peach, or similar. These typically pack 15–20 grams of added sugar per single-serving cup — about the same as three Oreo cookies. **The swap:** Plain full-fat Greek yogurt (Fage 5%, Chobani Plain Whole Milk, or store brand equivalent), topped with a handful of fresh or frozen berries. Add a small drizzle of honey if you need it sweeter for the first few weeks — you'll gradually stop needing it. **Why it works:** - Cuts 15–20g of added sugar per serving - Doubles the protein (Greek yogurt has ~15g vs. flavored yogurts at ~7g) - Real fruit adds fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that flavor "flavorings" don't - Frozen berries are cheaper than fresh, work just as well, and never spoil in the freezer **Cost impact:** Roughly the same. A tub of plain Greek yogurt is often cheaper per serving than individual flavored cups. **Taste bridge:** If plain yogurt feels harsh at first, start with 2% instead of full-fat, mash the berries in slightly, and add a teaspoon of honey. After 2–3 weeks your palate adjusts and the sweetened stuff will start tasting cloying by comparison. ### Swap 2: Flavored coffee creamer → Milk + vanilla + cinnamon **What you're currently buying:** International Delight, Coffee Mate, or one of the flavored "non-dairy" creamers. These are dominated by high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavoring. Two tablespoons pack around 5–7 grams of added sugar — and most people use more than that per cup, multiple cups per day. **The swap:** Whole milk, half-and-half, or unsweetened oat/almond milk, plus a splash of pure vanilla extract and a shake of ground cinnamon. Half a teaspoon of vanilla per cup covers most of the flavor gap. **Why it works:** - Eliminates all added sugar from coffee — potentially 20+ grams per day for a 3-cup drinker - Removes ultra-processed emulsifiers, oils, and artificial flavors entirely - Vanilla and cinnamon give you the "sweet-adjacent" mouthfeel without actual sugar - Cinnamon has independent evidence for supporting blood sugar regulation **Cost impact:** Cheaper. A carton of milk lasts far longer than a bottle of creamer for the same coffee volume. **Taste bridge:** The first three days feel weirdly bitter. Add a tiny bit of maple syrup or honey if you need to. By day 5–7, most people report their coffee tastes cleaner and they can suddenly taste the actual coffee flavor for the first time in years. ##### SwapGenie surfaces swaps automatically SwapGenie is built around this exact idea. Scan any product, see a personalized score based on your goals, and get better-tasting alternatives suggested right on the result screen. No willpower, no lists to remember — just point the camera and see the swap. [See how it works →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Swap 3: Mass-produced sliced bread → Real sourdough or seeded whole grain **What you're currently buying:** Wonder Bread, Sara Lee, most "whole grain" grocery store loaves. These typically contain dough conditioners (DATEM, SSL), added HFCS, soybean oil, mono- and diglycerides, and 20+ ingredients. Classic NOVA Group 4 territory. **The swap:** Genuine sourdough from a real bakery — the ingredient list should be flour, water, salt, sourdough starter. If a real bakery isn't nearby, look for dense whole-grain loaves at the supermarket where the ingredient list is 5 items or fewer (brands like Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed, Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Grain, or Ezekiel 4:9). **Why it works:** - Removes 10+ industrial additives per slice - Traditional sourdough fermentation partially pre-digests gluten, easier on many stomachs - Actual whole grains provide 3–4x the fiber and slower blood sugar response - Real bread has flavor — meaning you can enjoy it plain or with just butter, no elaborate toppings needed **Cost impact:** Higher upfront (real sourdough runs $5–8/loaf vs. $3 for mass-produced), but you eat less because it's more satisfying. Net cost per week is often similar. **Taste bridge:** None needed. Real bread tastes so much better than the alternative that most people never look back after the first loaf. ### Swap 4: Sugary breakfast cereal → Steel-cut oats or overnight oats **What you're currently buying:** Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, Special K, granola cereals, or "healthy" cereals like Kashi. Even the "adult" cereals typically have 8–12 grams of added sugar per serving, and almost all are Group 4 ultra-processed. **The swap:** Steel-cut oats cooked with milk on Sunday and reheated through the week (5 minutes each morning), or overnight oats — rolled oats soaked overnight in milk with chia seeds and fruit. Top with whatever you'd normally put on cereal: berries, banana, nuts, seeds, a drizzle of honey. **Why it works:** - Cuts 8–12g of added sugar per breakfast - Fiber-to-sugar ratio flips dramatically in the healthier direction - Steel-cut oats have a genuinely low glycemic response — keeps you full until lunch - Blank canvas — you control the toppings and sweetness **Cost impact:** Significantly cheaper. A canister of oats costs $4 and lasts weeks, versus $5–7 per cereal box for a few days of servings. **Taste bridge:** If oats feel plain, top generously with fruit and a small drizzle of maple syrup for the first two weeks. A dash of vanilla or cinnamon while cooking transforms the flavor. Overnight oats made with mashed banana and cinnamon taste almost like dessert. ### Swap 5: Flavored chips → Salted popcorn or roasted nuts **What you're currently buying:** Doritos, Lay's, Cheetos, or the "healthier" versions like Popchips and Sun Chips. Even the healthy-marketed brands are fried or baked in seed oils, coated in flavor powders with MSG, dextrose, "natural flavors," and dyes. **The swap:** Air-popped popcorn drizzled with olive oil and salt (takes 4 minutes in a pot on the stove), or a small portion (a proper handful, ~30g) of dry-roasted nuts — almonds, cashews, pistachios, or a mix. If you want the crunchy-savory-snack format specifically, look for popcorn brands with 2–3 ingredients (LesserEvil, Skinny Pop plain, Boom Chicka Pop sea salt). **Why it works:** - Removes seed oils, MSG, "natural flavors," and industrial coatings - Popcorn is a whole grain — genuinely one of the highest-fiber snack foods on the planet - Nuts add protein, healthy fats, and satiety — you actually feel satisfied instead of wanting a second serving - Both are portion-friendly: hard to overeat a pot of stovetop popcorn or a handful of nuts vs. bottomless bag of chips **Cost impact:** Popcorn is dramatically cheaper (a jar of kernels lasts months). Nuts are similar-priced per serving to premium chips. **Taste bridge:** For popcorn, experiment with toppings — nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, smoked paprika + salt for a BBQ vibe, cinnamon + a little sugar for sweet. For nuts, try flavored roasts (rosemary almonds, tamari cashews) if plain feels boring. ### The full swap summary | From | To | Main benefit | | --- | --- | --- | | Flavored yogurt | Plain Greek yogurt + fruit | −15–20g added sugar, +8g protein | | Flavored coffee creamer | Milk + vanilla + cinnamon | Removes HFCS, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors | | Mass-produced sliced bread | Real sourdough or seeded whole grain | Removes 10+ additives, +3–4x fiber | | Sugary breakfast cereal | Steel-cut or overnight oats | −8–12g sugar, sustained energy, cheaper | | Flavored chips | Popcorn or roasted nuts | Removes seed oils + additives, adds fiber or protein | ### The one-swap-at-a-time rule > Pick one swap. Do it consistently for two weeks until it feels normal. Then add another. Trying all five at once is the fastest way to abandon all five within a month. This is the single most important thing in this article. Every swap in this list is simple in isolation. But stacking five behavior changes at the same time — even small ones — hits the same willpower ceiling that ends most diets. Boring approach, but it works: one habit per two weeks, ten weeks to lock in all five, and you never feel like you're depriving yourself. Once these five are automatic, you can layer in more swaps (soda → sparkling water with lemon, salad dressings → olive oil + vinegar, milk chocolate → 70%+ dark chocolate, etc.). But start with these — they cover the highest-leverage categories and taste changes are minimal. ##### Let SwapGenie do the swap-finding You don't need to memorize a swap list. SwapGenie scans your groceries and suggests better-tasting alternatives that fit your specific preferences — dietary restrictions, allergens, nutrition goals. The free version includes 3 swap suggestions a day; Pro makes them unlimited. Free on Google Play. [Try SwapGenie free →](https://swapgenie.app/) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What are the easiest healthy grocery swaps? The easiest healthy grocery swaps are ones that taste similar to what you already buy. The top five: plain Greek yogurt plus fruit instead of flavored yogurt, real milk plus vanilla and cinnamon instead of flavored coffee creamer, real sourdough bread instead of mass-produced sliced bread, steel-cut or overnight oats instead of sugary cereal, and popcorn or nuts instead of flavored chips. Each of these cuts significant added sugar or ultra-processed ingredients without a jarring taste change. #### Why do most healthy eating changes fail? Most healthy eating changes fail because they demand too large a taste, texture, or lifestyle shift too fast. Going from soda to plain water, or from pizza to salad, is a huge sensory jump. Swaps work better than overhauls: replace one product with a similar-tasting healthier version and repeat. Small consistent swaps compound over months without triggering the willpower fatigue that ends most diets. #### How much sugar can I cut with grocery swaps? The five swaps in this article can realistically cut 40–60 grams of added sugar per day for someone eating a standard American diet — roughly the entire daily recommended limit from the WHO. Even doing just two or three of them consistently makes a measurable difference over weeks and months without requiring you to give up eating things you enjoy. #### Are these swaps more expensive? Some swaps cost the same or less (plain yogurt vs. flavored, milk vs. coffee creamer, oats vs. cereal). Others cost slightly more (sourdough from a bakery, nuts vs. chips). On average, whole-food swaps run 10–20% more upfront but often reduce grocery bills over time by cutting impulse snacks and processed foods. #### Do I need to swap everything at once? No — this is the biggest mistake. Pick one swap, do it consistently for two weeks until it feels normal, then add another. Trying all five at once triggers willpower fatigue and usually leads to abandoning all of them within a month. One swap at a time is boring but effective. Related reading - [Yuka Alternatives: SwapGenie vs Yuka, Fig, Bobby Approved & Open Food Facts](https://swapgenie.app/blog/yuka-alternatives/) - [How to Read Nutrition Labels: The Complete Guide (2026)](https://swapgenie.app/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/) - [Hidden Dairy: 30+ Ingredients That Contain Milk](https://swapgenie.app/blog/hidden-dairy-ingredients/) - [What Are Seed Oils, and How Do You Spot Them on Labels?](https://swapgenie.app/blog/what-are-seed-oils/) - [NOVA Classification Explained: The 4 Groups of Ultra-Processed Food](https://swapgenie.app/blog/nova-classification-explained/) --- # Contact SwapGenie — Support, Feedback & Press URL: https://swapgenie.app/contact/ Summary: Contact SwapGenie — the smart grocery scanner. Product feedback, press inquiries, data requests, and support. Response within 2 business days. ## Get in *touch*. Questions, feedback, press, or a data request — everything comes to the same inbox. [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app) We reply within 2 business days. You might be writing about #### Product feedback A feature idea, a bug, or a food category we should add. All welcome. #### Press & partnerships Media inquiries, interview requests, and partnership proposals. #### Privacy & data requests Access, correction, or deletion of your personal data — as described in our [Privacy Policy](https://swapgenie.app/privacy). #### Legal & compliance Anything relating to our [Terms](https://swapgenie.app/terms) or [Cookie Policy](https://swapgenie.app/cookie-policy). Postal address MarVikIT, Jevrejska, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia Contact: [Nikola Dimovski](https://github.com/nikoladimovski71-svg) --- # Privacy Policy — SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/privacy/ Summary: SwapGenie Privacy Policy. Your profile, allergens and family stay on your phone. What the app and website collect, why, and your choices. ## Privacy Policy Last updated October 21, 2026 This policy explains what happens to your information when you use the **SwapGenie** app and the website [swapgenie.app](https://swapgenie.app). SwapGenie is run by **Nikola Dimovski** (doing business as SwapGenie), a MarVikIT project ("**we**," "**us**"). We are responsible for the information described here. SwapGenie is built so that your personal details stay with you. There are no accounts and no passwords. Your profile, allergens, family members and scan history are stored on your phone, and we never receive them. **Questions?** Write to [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app). ### The short version - **Your profile stays on your phone.** Your name, allergens, lifestyle choices, nutrition goal, family members and scan history never leave your device. - **The camera only reads barcodes,** on your phone. No photos or videos are saved or sent. - **To look up a product,** the app sends the barcode number to public food databases. Nothing about you is sent with it. - **We use Google Firebase** to count how the app is used and to fix crashes. No ads, no advertising ID, and we never sell your data. - **Payments go through Google Play** (or the Apple App Store on iPhone). We never see your card. - **On the website,** if you join the waitlist we keep your email to send your code. We use Google Analytics to count visits. Contents 1. [What stays on your phone](#on-device) 2. [Camera](#camera) 3. [Product lookups and swap suggestions](#lookups) 4. [App analytics and crash reports](#analytics) 5. [Purchases](#purchases) 6. [The website](#website) 7. [Who receives data](#sharing) 8. [International transfers](#transfers) 9. [How long data is kept](#retention) 10. [Children](#children) 11. [Your rights and choices](#rights) 12. [Security](#security) 13. [Changes to this policy](#changes) 14. [Contact](#contact) ### 1. What stays on your phone ***In Short:*** Everything you tell SwapGenie about yourself and your family is stored only on your device. The app stores the following in its private storage on your phone: - Your profile: the name you enter, allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal - Family members you add (Pro): their names, allergens, lifestyle choices and goals - Your scan history and saved product details - App settings, your daily swap count and whether you have Pro Allergens and nutrition goals can say something about health. That's why this information never leaves your phone: we don't receive it, and it isn't included in analytics or crash reports. You can delete all of it at any time in the app: **Settings → Delete all my data**. Uninstalling the app also removes it. Android or iOS may include app data in your own device backup, depending on your phone's backup settings. That backup is controlled by your Google or Apple account, not by us. ### 2. Camera SwapGenie asks for camera access only to scan barcodes. The image is read on your phone by Google's on-device barcode reader (ML Kit), and only the barcode number is used. No photos or videos are stored or sent to us or anyone else. You can turn off camera access at any time in your phone's settings; scanning then stops working. ### 3. Product lookups and swap suggestions ***In Short:*** To show a product, the app asks public food databases about the barcode. These requests don't contain anything about you. When you scan, the app sends the **barcode number** to: - **Open Food Facts**, an open food database run by a non-profit association in France - **USDA FoodData Central**, a database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, when Open Food Facts doesn't have the product When you ask for swap suggestions, the app sends the product's **food category** (for example "hazelnut spreads") and your **phone's country setting** (for example "Serbia"), so products sold in your country come first. The requests go to Open Food Facts, with **Spoonacular** (a food data service in the United States) as a backup. Like any internet request, these services can see your device's IP address and that the request comes from SwapGenie. Your profile, allergens, family members and scan history are never sent; the app compares products with your profile on your phone. These services have their own privacy policies. ### 4. App analytics and crash reports ***In Short:*** We use Google Firebase to understand how many people use SwapGenie and to fix crashes. It doesn't know who you are. The app uses **Firebase Analytics** and **Firebase Crashlytics**, provided by Google, which process this data for us. They collect: - **An app identifier**: a random ID for this installation of the app. It isn't linked to your name, email or Google account, and it changes if you reinstall the app. - **App activity**: for example when the app is opened, how long it's used, app updates, and events like starting or ending a subscription, the rating request being shown, or tapping "Need room for more? Tell us" - **Purchase events**: that a subscription was bought or ended, with the product, price and currency (from Google Play) - **Approximate location**: country or city level, which Google works out from your IP address. Your precise location is never collected. - **Device and app information**: device model, operating system version, app version and language - **Crash reports**: what went wrong in the app and the state of the device at that moment - **How you found the app**: the Google Play install referrer, for example the tag on a link you followed They do **not** receive your name, email, profile, allergens, family members or scans. The app doesn't use the advertising ID; it is removed from the app. We use this information to see which features are used, to measure how the app grows, and to fix problems. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in running and improving the app. The app has no switch to turn analytics off. If you don't want analytics, you can stop using the app, and uninstalling resets the app identifier. ### 5. Purchases SwapGenie Pro is a subscription sold through **Google Play** (and the **Apple App Store** when the iPhone version is available). The store handles your payment details; we never see or store your card or bank information. The store tells the app whether your subscription is active so the app can unlock Pro. The app checks this on your phone. Google and Apple send us sales reports (for example the number of sales per country) and pay us. We keep financial records as required by Serbian accounting and tax law. The Google and Apple privacy policies apply to the purchase itself. ### 6. The website - **Hosting:** swapgenie.app is hosted by **Netlify**. Like every web host, Netlify's servers handle technical information such as your IP address and browser type to deliver the pages. - **Google Analytics:** the website uses Google Analytics to count visits: pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser type, and the site that sent you. It uses cookies; see our [Cookie Policy](https://swapgenie.app/cookie-policy). - **Waitlist:** if you enter your email to get the app and a promo code, we receive your email address through Netlify Forms. We use it only to send you the download link and your code. No newsletter, no marketing list. - **Email to us:** if you write to hello@swapgenie.app, we use your message and email address to answer you. ### 7. Who receives data ***In Short:*** We don't sell your data, we don't share it for advertising, and SwapGenie has no ads. Data described in this policy is handled only by: - **Google**: Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, Google Analytics and Google Play, as our service provider and as the store - **Apple**: the App Store, when the iPhone version is available - **Netlify**: website hosting and the waitlist form - **Open Food Facts, USDA and Spoonacular**: they receive the product lookup requests described in section 3 We may also disclose information if the law requires it, for example in response to a valid request from a court or authority. ### 8. International transfers We are based in Serbia. Some of the services above process data in other countries, including the United States and the European Union. These providers use their own safeguards for international transfers, such as standard contractual clauses. ### 9. How long data is kept | Data | How long | | --- | --- | | Profile, family members, scan history (on your phone) | Until you delete it in the app or uninstall the app | | App analytics (Firebase / Google Analytics) | Detailed data up to 14 months; after that only totals that can't be linked to a device | | Crash reports (Crashlytics) | 90 days | | Waitlist email | Until we've sent your code, then deleted within 12 months, or sooner if you ask | | Emails you send us | As long as needed to answer you, normally no more than 2 years | | Financial records | As long as Serbian accounting and tax law requires | ### 10. Children SwapGenie is meant for adults and isn't directed at children. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you add a child as a family member, their details stay on your phone and are never sent to us. ### 11. Your rights and choices Depending on where you live (for example under the Serbian Law on Personal Data Protection, the GDPR in the EU and UK, or U.S. state privacy laws), you may have the right to access, correct or delete your personal information, to object to or restrict its use, and to receive a copy of it. - **Data on your phone:** you control it directly. Change it in Settings, or delete everything with **Settings → Delete all my data**. - **Waitlist email and messages:** email [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app) and we'll delete them. - **Analytics:** this data isn't linked to your name or email, so we usually can't find the data from one person. Email us and we'll help where we can. Uninstalling the app resets the app identifier. We answer requests within 30 days. We don't sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of. You can also complain to a data protection authority. In Serbia, that is the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection; in the EU, it is the authority in your country. For details on deleting your data, see [Delete your data](https://swapgenie.app/delete-account). ### 12. Security All data the app and website send is encrypted in transit (HTTPS). Data on your phone sits in the app's private storage. Because there are no accounts or passwords, there is no login information that could leak. ### 13. Changes to this policy If what SwapGenie does with data changes, we update this page and the date at the top. For important changes, we'll also mention it in the app's release notes. ### 14. Contact Questions about privacy or this policy: [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app), or by post: **Nikola Dimovski** (SwapGenie) Jevrejska 21000 Novi Sad Serbia --- # Terms of Use — SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/terms/ Summary: SwapGenie Terms of Use (EULA): the rules for the SwapGenie app and website, the Pro subscription through Google Play and the App Store, cancellation and refunds. ## Terms of Use Last updated October 21, 2026 These terms are the agreement between you and **Nikola Dimovski**, doing business as **SwapGenie**, a MarVikIT project ("**we**," "**us**"), for the **SwapGenie** app (the "**App**") and the website [swapgenie.app](https://swapgenie.app) (together, the "**Services**"). They are also the end user license agreement (EULA) for the App. By downloading or using the Services, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the Services. **Questions?** Write to [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app). ### The short version - **SwapGenie gives information, not medical advice.** Scores come from product data that can be incomplete or out of date. Always check the package label. - **No accounts.** Your profile, family members and scan history stay on your phone. - **The free version stays free.** SwapGenie Pro is an optional monthly subscription with a 14-day free trial. - **The store handles payment.** Google Play on Android, the Apple App Store on iPhone. Cancel anytime in the store; refunds follow the store's rules. - **Our content is free to read, share and quote**, by people and by AI systems. The SwapGenie name, logo and app stay ours. Contents 1. [What SwapGenie does](#services) 2. [Information, not medical advice](#information) 3. [Who can use SwapGenie](#who) 4. [Your license to use the App](#license) 5. [SwapGenie Pro subscription](#pro) 6. [Payment, cancellation and refunds](#billing) 7. [Promo codes](#codes) 8. [Acceptable use](#acceptable) 9. [Website content and AI use](#content) 10. [Our name, logo and app](#ip) 11. [Product data sources](#data) 12. [Privacy](#privacy) 13. [Apple App Store terms](#apple) 14. [Google Play terms](#google) 15. [Changes to the Services and these terms](#changes) 16. [Ending these terms](#ending) 17. [Warranty disclaimer](#warranty) 18. [Limitation of liability](#liability) 19. [Governing law and disputes](#law) 20. [General](#general) 21. [Contact](#contact) ### 1. What SwapGenie does SwapGenie is a grocery barcode scanner. You scan a product, and the App shows a 0–100 score worked out from the profile you set (allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal), the product's processing level (NOVA) and its Nutri-Score, with the reasons behind it. It also suggests similar products that may fit you better. With SwapGenie Pro you can add up to 4 family members and see results for each person. The website gives information about SwapGenie, publishes our blog, and lets you request a promo code. ### 2. Information, not medical advice ***In Short:*** SwapGenie helps you read labels faster. It doesn't replace reading the label, or a doctor. SwapGenie reads ingredient lists and nutrition data from public product databases. That data can be missing, incomplete, out of date or wrong, and manufacturers change recipes. SwapGenie only checks for the ingredient names it knows, so it can miss an ingredient, and it can't know about cross-contamination or "may contain" warnings that aren't in the data. - A score or a "no flags" result is not a promise that a product is free of an allergen or suitable for you. - **Always check the package label** before you buy or eat a product, especially if you or someone you shop for has a food allergy. - SwapGenie isn't a medical device and doesn't diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. For medical or dietary questions, talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian. ### 3. Who can use SwapGenie SwapGenie is meant for adults. If you are under the age of majority where you live, you may use the Services only with the permission of a parent or guardian. If you add family members, including children, their details stay on your phone; please add only people you shop for, with their or their parent's agreement. ### 4. Your license to use the App We give you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to download and use the App on devices you own or control, for your own non-commercial use, under these terms and the rules of the store you got it from. On iPhone, this license is limited to Apple-branded products you own or control, as allowed by the Usage Rules in the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions; the App may be used by other accounts in your Family Sharing group or by volume purchasing where Apple allows it. You may not copy, modify, sell, rent or redistribute the App, or try to get its source code, except where the law allows it despite this restriction. ### 5. SwapGenie Pro subscription The free version of SwapGenie includes unlimited scans, the personal score, the main allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goals, and 3 swap suggestions a day. **SwapGenie Pro** adds family profiles (up to 4 more people), unlimited swap suggestions and more allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goals. What's included is shown on the Upgrade screen in the App. - **Length and price:** Pro is a monthly subscription. The price is shown in the App and in the store before you buy, in your local currency (in the US, $4.99 a month). Taxes may apply, depending on where you live. - **Free trial:** new subscribers get a 14-day free trial where the store offers it. If you don't cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends, the subscription starts and you're charged. The store decides who is eligible for the trial; usually it is once per store account. - **Automatic renewal:** the subscription renews every month until you cancel. Your store account is charged for the next month within 24 hours before the current month ends, at the price then in effect. - **Price changes:** if the price goes up, the store tells you first and, where the law or the store requires it, asks for your agreement. ### 6. Payment, cancellation and refunds ***In Short:*** You pay the store, you cancel in the store, and the store decides refunds. We never see your card. **Payment.** Purchases are processed only by Google Play (Android) or the Apple App Store (iPhone) and charged to your store account when you confirm the purchase. We never receive or store your card or bank details. **Cancel anytime.** Cancelling stops the next renewal; Pro stays on until the end of the period you've paid for. Uninstalling the App or deleting your data doesn't cancel the subscription. - **Google Play:** Play Store app → your profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → SwapGenie → Cancel subscription. - **iPhone:** Settings → your name → Subscriptions → SwapGenie → Cancel Subscription. You can do this at least 24 hours before the end of the current period to avoid the next charge. **Refunds.** Because the stores handle payment, refunds are requested from them and follow their policies: - Google Play: see [Google Play's refund policies](https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2479637). - Apple App Store: request a refund at [reportaproblem.apple.com](https://reportaproblem.apple.com). If something isn't working, write to [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app) and we'll help. Nothing in these terms limits refund or withdrawal rights you have under the consumer law of the country where you live. ### 7. Promo codes Promo codes we send from the website are Google Play codes for 3 months of SwapGenie Pro. They work in the Android app only, one code per person. Codes have no cash value and can't be exchanged or resold. Each code expires on the date Google Play sets for it. We may end the offer at any time; codes already sent keep working until they expire. ### 8. Acceptable use Please use the Services the way they're meant to be used. You agree not to: - break the law or anyone else's rights while using the Services; - reverse engineer, decompile or tamper with the App, or get around its subscription checks, except where the law allows it; - extract the App's access keys or use the App to send automated requests to the food databases it uses; - attack, overload or disrupt the website or the App; - pretend to be us, or use the Services to mislead others about where something comes from. Reading and crawling the website is welcome; see section 9. ### 9. Website content and AI use You're welcome to read, share, link to and quote the articles and pages on swapgenie.app. Search engines, AI assistants and AI crawlers may crawl, index, summarize and quote the website, and use its content to answer questions and to train AI models. When you quote or cite us, please name SwapGenie and link to [swapgenie.app](https://swapgenie.app). Summaries for AI systems are at [/llms.txt](https://swapgenie.app/llms.txt) and [/llms-full.txt](https://swapgenie.app/llms-full.txt). This permission covers the website's text. It doesn't let anyone present our content as their own, change it in a misleading way, or use it to suggest that we endorse them. ### 10. Our name, logo and app The App, its design and code, and the SwapGenie name and logo belong to us. These terms don't give you any right to use the SwapGenie name or logo, except to refer to SwapGenie in a fair, accurate way. Names of other apps and products mentioned on the website belong to their owners. ### 11. Product data sources Product information in the App comes from [Open Food Facts](https://world.openfoodfacts.org/) (made available under the Open Database License), [USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/), and Spoonacular as a backup for swap suggestions. We don't control these sources and aren't responsible for their content. If a product is missing or wrong, you can add or correct it in Open Food Facts. ### 12. Privacy How we handle data is explained in our [Privacy Policy](https://swapgenie.app/privacy). To delete your data, see [Delete your data](https://swapgenie.app/delete-account). ### 13. Apple App Store terms If you downloaded the App from the Apple App Store, this section also applies: - **Agreement.** These terms are between you and us only, not with Apple. We, not Apple, are solely responsible for the App and its content. - **Support.** We are solely responsible for maintenance and support of the App. Apple has no obligation to provide any maintenance or support for it. - **Warranty.** We are solely responsible for any product warranties, whether express or implied by law, to the extent not effectively disclaimed. If the App fails to conform to an applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price of the App (if any) to you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation for the App, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses from a failure to conform to a warranty are our responsibility. - **Product claims.** We, not Apple, are responsible for addressing any claims by you or a third party relating to the App or your possession and use of it, including product liability claims, claims that the App fails to meet a legal or regulatory requirement, and claims under consumer protection, privacy or similar laws. - **Intellectual property.** If a third party claims that the App or your possession and use of it infringes their intellectual property rights, we, not Apple, are solely responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement and discharge of that claim. - **Legal compliance.** You confirm that you are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo or that the U.S. Government has designated as a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties. - **Third-party terms.** When using the App, you must follow any third-party terms that apply to you, such as your mobile data provider's. - **Third-party beneficiary.** Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms. Once you accept them, Apple has the right (and is deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these terms against you as a third-party beneficiary. - **Contact.** Questions, complaints or claims about the App go to us; see section 21. If this section conflicts with the rest of these terms, this section applies to the iPhone App. ### 14. Google Play terms If you downloaded the App from Google Play, the [Google Play Terms of Service](https://play.google.com/about/play-terms/) also apply to your download and purchases. These terms are between you and us; Google isn't responsible for the App. ### 15. Changes to the Services and these terms We keep improving SwapGenie, so features can change. If we remove a main Pro feature you're paying for, you can cancel in the store, and you can ask the store for a refund under its rules. If we change these terms, we update this page and the date at the top. For important changes, we'll also mention it in the App's release notes before they take effect. If you keep using the Services after that, the new terms apply. If you don't agree, you can stop using the Services and cancel Pro. ### 16. Ending these terms You can stop using SwapGenie at any time by uninstalling the App (and cancelling Pro in the store, if you have it). We may stop offering the Services, or stop your use of them if you seriously break these terms. If we stop offering Pro, we'll stop renewals so you aren't charged again. Sections 2, 10, 17, 18, 19 and 20 continue to apply after these terms end. ### 17. Warranty disclaimer TO THE EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DON'T PROMISE THAT PRODUCT DATA, SCORES OR SWAP SUGGESTIONS ARE COMPLETE OR CORRECT, OR THAT THE SERVICES WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE OR ERROR-FREE. Some countries don't allow these exclusions. If you live in one of them, you keep the rights your local law gives you. ### 18. Limitation of liability TO THE EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS, WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR DATA, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SERVICES IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR SWAPGENIE PRO IN THE 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE, OR US $100. Nothing in these terms limits liability that can't be limited by law, such as liability for intent or gross negligence, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. ### 19. Governing law and disputes These terms are governed by the laws of Serbia. If you have a problem, please write to us first at [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app); we'll try to solve it within 30 days. If we can't, disputes go to the competent court in Novi Sad, Serbia. If you are a consumer, you also keep the protection of the mandatory laws of the country where you live, and you may be able to bring a claim in your local courts. If you live in the EU, you can also use your national consumer dispute resolution bodies. ### 20. General These terms, together with the Privacy Policy, are the whole agreement between you and us about the Services. If a part of these terms can't be enforced, the rest still applies. If we don't enforce a right straight away, we don't give it up. You may not transfer your rights under these terms to someone else; we may transfer ours to a business that takes over SwapGenie, as long as your rights under these terms stay the same. ### 21. Contact Questions, complaints or claims about SwapGenie: [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app), or by post: **Nikola Dimovski** (SwapGenie) Jevrejska 21000 Novi Sad Serbia --- # Cookie Policy — SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/cookie-policy/ Summary: SwapGenie Cookie Policy. The website uses only Google Analytics cookies to count visits. No advertising cookies. The app uses no cookies. ## Cookie Policy Last updated October 21, 2026 This policy explains how the website [swapgenie.app](https://swapgenie.app), run by **Nikola Dimovski** (doing business as **SwapGenie**), uses cookies. The short answer: only Google Analytics, to count visits. No advertising cookies. The SwapGenie **app** doesn't use cookies. What the app collects is explained in our [Privacy Policy](https://swapgenie.app/privacy). ### What are cookies? Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. They let a site remember something between visits, for example that you've been there before. ### Which cookies does this website use? Analytics #### Google Analytics (GA4) Google Analytics helps us see how many people visit, which pages they read, roughly where they're from (country or city, from the IP address), which device and browser they use, and which site sent them. It sets the cookies `_ga` and `_ga_L444ZJVMW7`, which keep a random visitor ID for up to 2 years. Google processes this data for us. Google Analytics advertising features are turned off. No cookies #### Hosting and the waitlist form The website is hosted by Netlify. Showing the pages and sending the waitlist form doesn't need cookies. The email you enter is sent with the form; see the [Privacy Policy](https://swapgenie.app/privacy#website). ### How can I control cookies? You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The website works fully without them. - [Chrome](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647) - [Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/microsoft-edge-browsing-data-and-privacy-bb8174ba-9d73-dcf2-9b4a-c582b4e640dd) - [Firefox](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enhanced-tracking-protection-firefox-desktop) - [Safari](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac) - [Opera](https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/) To stop Google Analytics on every website, you can use Google's [Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on](https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout). ### Advertising This website and the app show no ads and use no advertising cookies or tracking pixels. ### Changes If the cookies we use change, we update this page and the date at the top. ### Contact Questions about cookies: [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app), or by post: **Nikola Dimovski** (SwapGenie) Jevrejska 21000 Novi Sad Serbia --- # Delete Your Data — SwapGenie URL: https://swapgenie.app/delete-account/ Summary: Delete your SwapGenie data: on your phone in a few taps, or by one email for anything we hold. No accounts. Handled within 30 days. Data request ## Delete your *data*. SwapGenie has no accounts. Almost everything lives on your phone, and you can delete it yourself in a few taps. For anything else, send us one email. [Email hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app?subject=Delete%20my%20data) Every email request is handled within 30 days, usually within a few business days. ### Delete the data on your phone Your profile, allergens, lifestyle choices, nutrition goal, family members and scan history are stored only on your phone. We never receive them, so you delete them directly in the app: 1. **Open SwapGenie** Go to the `Settings` tab. 2. **Tap Delete all my data** You'll find it under `Your data`. 3. **Confirm** Tap `Delete everything`. Your profile, family members, scan history, saved products and settings are removed from the phone right away. Uninstalling SwapGenie removes this data too. If your phone backs up apps to your Google or Apple account, that backup is managed in your phone's settings, not by us. **Subscribed to Pro?** Deleting your data doesn't cancel the subscription. Cancel it in Google Play: Play Store → your profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → SwapGenie. ### Delete the data we hold SwapGenie is published by **MarVikIT** (Novi Sad, Serbia). Each request is handled personally. Email `hello@swapgenie.app` with the subject `Delete my data`, and send it from the address you used, so we can find your records. We'll delete your waitlist email (if you joined on this website) and the emails you've sent us, then confirm by email. **App analytics and crash reports** aren't linked to your name or email, so we can't look them up by your address. Uninstalling the app resets its random identifier, detailed analytics data expires on its own within 14 months, and crash reports within 90 days. ### What gets deleted vs kept #### Deleted - Profile, allergens, lifestyle choices and nutrition goal (on your phone, by you) - Family members (on your phone, by you) - Scan history and saved products (on your phone, by you) - Your waitlist email (by us, on request) - Emails you've sent us (by us, on request) #### Kept - Analytics totals that can't be linked to anyone - Financial records Serbian tax and accounting law requires. Purchases go through Google Play or the App Store; we never hold card details. - Records needed to defend against a legal claim, if one exists at the time ### Questions or problems If you don't hear back within 5 business days, reply to your original email or write to [hello@swapgenie.app](mailto:hello@swapgenie.app). Full details on how SwapGenie handles data are in our [Privacy Policy](https://swapgenie.app/privacy).