Introduction: What Are Food Allergies?

A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.

This information is for educational purposes and NOT a substitute for professional medical advice. This AI tool CANNOT be used for managing diagnosed food allergies.

Common Food Allergens

While any food can cause an allergic reaction, eight types of food account for about 90% of all reactions:

• Eggs
• Milk (Dairy)
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans)
• Fish
• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Soy
• Wheat (Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale)

Other common allergens include sesame, mustard, and celery.

CRITICAL Limitations of Visual Allergen Spotting by AI (and Humans)

Visually identifying allergens in prepared food is extremely challenging and often impossible, even for humans, let alone AI from a single photo. This tool has SEVERE limitations:

• Hidden Ingredients: Many allergens are used as minor ingredients, in sauces, marinades, or as processing aids, and are not visually apparent (e.g., milk powder in a sauce, soy lecithin as an emulsifier, nut oils).
• Cross-Contamination: A food that does not inherently contain an allergen can become contaminated during preparation or processing if it comes into contact with an allergen. This is completely undetectable by visual analysis.
• Processed Foods: Highly processed foods can make visual identification of original ingredients impossible.
• Similar Appearance: Many non-allergenic ingredients can look similar to allergenic ones (e.g., different types of flours, seeds, or oils).
• AI Inaccuracies: AI image recognition is not perfect and can misidentify food items or fail to spot ingredients, especially if they are small, mixed in, or partially obscured.
• Focus on Common Allergens Only: This tool is prompted to look for a limited set of common, visually distinct allergens. It will not identify less common allergens or sensitivities.

NEVER RELY ON VISUAL INSPECTION (BY HUMAN OR AI) ALONE IF AN ALLERGY IS A CONCERN. DEATH CAN RESULT FROM INGESTING AN ALLERGEN.

How This AI Food Allergy Spotter Works (Highly Experimental & Limited)

This AI tool uses OpenAI's GPT-4o model with vision capabilities to analyze the meal photo you upload. It attempts to visually identify common, overtly visible ingredients that are known major allergens (e.g., visible peanuts, a piece of cheese for dairy, a slice of bread for potential gluten). It then lists any *visually identified* potential common allergens. This is a very superficial scan based on appearance ONLY. It is NOT a chemical analysis and has NO understanding of the food's actual composition or preparation method. Its accuracy is extremely limited.

Safe Practices for Managing Food Allergies

• Always Read Ingredient Labels: Carefully check all packaged food labels every time.
• Inform Restaurants/Servers: When eating out, clearly communicate your allergies to the staff and ask detailed questions about ingredients and preparation methods to avoid cross-contamination.
• Carry Emergency Medication: If prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector, carry it with you at all times and know how to use it.
• Educate Yourself and Others: Understand your allergies and inform family, friends, and colleagues.
• Consult an Allergist: For proper diagnosis, management plans, and emergency preparedness.

This AI tool is NOT a substitute for any of these critical safety practices.