How to use a food scanner app,
in five steps.
Open the app, point the camera, read the result, log the food. That's the whole thing. Here's what each step looks like in practice, what shows up after a scan and what to do when a barcode isn't in the database.
Point. Read.
Log.
Two minutes start to finish on the first pack. Twenty seconds once you've got the hang of it.
Step 1: Open the scanner
Open NutraSafe, tap Scan in the bottom row. The camera opens. First time you'll be asked for camera permission; it stays on after that.
Step 2: Point at the barcode
The EAN-13 barcode is on the back of the pack, usually near the ingredients list. Hold the phone roughly 10cm to 15cm away. Steady for half a second. A short haptic confirms the read.
Step 3: Read the result
The ingredient list, the nutrition panel, calories per pack and per 100g, the Big 14 allergen check and the additive flags appear. Plain English. Source on every flag.
Step 4: Log it
Tap Log, pick the meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack), confirm the serving size. The calories, macros and (on Pro) vitamins and minerals add to your day against UK NRV.
Step 5: If the code isn't found
Newer or short-run UK lines aren't always in the database on day one. Tap Add manually, type the product name and the four numbers from the back of the pack: kcal, protein, carbs, fat. Forty-five seconds and you've got the entry in your diary.
A few tricks
for the hard ones.
Things people in the support inbox ask about most.
Curved or shiny packs
Cans, jars and metallic foil packs reflect light. Tilt the pack slightly away from the overhead light, hold the camera flat to the barcode panel, give it the half second. The flash isn't needed indoors.
Loose produce
Bananas, an apple from the loose shelf, broccoli by weight: no barcode. Search by name instead. The food database covers raw fruit, veg, meat, fish, dairy and store cupboard staples with UK-typical serving sizes.
Counter-cut sandwiches
Pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) UK foods have had a full ingredient list with allergens emphasised since Natasha's Law (October 2021). The pack often has no barcode. Read the printed list, type the four numbers from the panel if there is one.
Multipacks
A 6-pack of crisp packets carries the outer barcode and individual barcodes on each packet. Either works; scan whichever is closest to you. Both return the same data.
One pack,
what shows up.
Walkers Ready Salted Crisps, 25g multipack bag. Common shopping-basket item.
From the back panel. Logs to your day.
Counts against your day's salt total. NHS adult daily max is 6g.
Potato, sunflower oil, salt. Ready Salted is one of the cleaner crisp lines.
None in the ingredients we have. Always cross-check the on-pack label.
Frequently
asked.
From new installs in the support inbox.
An app that uses your phone camera to read the barcode on a UK food pack and bring back the ingredients, nutrition panel, additive flags and Big 14 allergen check. Most have a free tier.
We built NutraSafe for UK shoppers: branded and own-brand across Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op and Waitrose. Free download. Pro £3.99 a month or £34.99 a year adds the AI Coach, workouts, fasting and suspected-triggers.
Yes. The NutraSafe download is free, and the barcode scanner with the additive flag is on the free tier. You also get up to 25 food logs a day and the reaction log up to 5 entries on free.
A fresh barcode needs a connection to look it up. Foods already in your diary stay available offline. In a supermarket basement with no signal, scan near the entrance where there is reception.
Trust the pack. Manufacturers reformulate. Tap the report button on the scan card and we'll re-pull the data from the food databases. Old data ages out within days.
Scan your first pack,
see what we show,
log it to your day.
Free download. Up to 25 food logs a day on the free tier. Pro £3.99 a month or £34.99 a year for the AI Coach, workouts, fasting and the suspected-triggers view.
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