FAQ · NutraSafe

Frequently asked.

Plain-English answers to the questions people ask about additives, calories, macros, allergens and how we work. Source on every flag.

iPhone, iPad and Android UK references throughout Last reviewed 4 November 2026
About the app

What NutraSafe does.

The short answer: scan a UK packet, see the ingredients in plain English, log the rest of your day to the same diary.

What is NutraSafe?

A UK food and health diary. Calorie counter, ingredient scanner, reaction diary, workout log, fasting timer and AI coach, all sharing the same diary. Independent. Built in the UK.

Which UK supermarkets does the scanner read?

Any UK barcode in the underlying food databases. In practice that covers branded products and own-brand packs from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op and Waitrose. If a pack doesn't scan, tap "report this food" so we can add it.

Is it on iPad or Android?

Yes. NutraSafe is on iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 and later) and Android (Android 8.0 and later). Apple Watch works with the iPhone app. On Android, NutraSafe reads Health Connect.

Does it work offline?

Searching the food database needs an internet connection. Foods you've already logged stay in your diary and can be viewed offline.

Pricing

Free tier and Pro.

The download is free. NutraSafe Pro is £6.99 a month or £40.99 a year on iPhone and Android. Cancel any time in your Apple subscriptions.

What's in the free tier?

With the free version you can log up to 25 foods a day and get the calories, the macros, the food's score and the number of additives, and log reactions while you build a baseline. The E-number library on this website is free too.

What does Pro add?

With Pro you get the AI Coach, suspected triggers from your reactions, vitamins and minerals, and a full workout app built in, with personal bests and Apple Watch sync. Pro also tells you what each additive on a pack is and does, with the evidence behind a flagged concern, and adds the AI meal scan, the fasting timer and the processed-food trend. Both free caps are lifted.

How much is Pro?

£6.99 a month or £40.99 a year on iPhone and Android.

How do I cancel?

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions. NutraSafe Pro is listed there. Apple handles billing and refunds.

Additives and labels

E-numbers, allergens and UPF.

The questions people search the most. Our answers stick to what the regulators have written.

What is a food additive?

Something added to food during manufacturing to preserve it, change its texture, add colour or flavour, or stop it separating. In the UK and EU each approved one carries an E-number. Preservatives, colours, sweeteners, emulsifiers and flavour enhancers are the main groups.

What are E-numbers?

Codes for additives reviewed for use in the UK and EU. E100s are colours, E200s preservatives, E300s antioxidants, E400s thickeners and emulsifiers, E600s flavour enhancers, E900s include sweeteners. E300 is vitamin C. E322 is lecithin. Our E-number library covers each one in plain English.

Which additives have flags worth knowing about?

The Southampton Six artificial colours (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) are linked to hyperactivity in some children and UK packs carrying them must show an FSA warning. Sulphites (E220 to E228) can trigger reactions in people with asthma. Sodium nitrite (E250) cures ham and bacon: regular processed-meat eating is linked to bowel cancer, and the NHS caps processed meat at 70g a day.

What are the Big 14 UK allergens?

UK law requires 14 allergens to be declared: celery, cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10ppm, and tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazils, pistachios, macadamias). We flag these in the ingredient list we read back, but always check the packet itself, our data can be out of date, so never rely on any app for a serious allergy.

What's an ultra-processed food?

NOVA 4: industrial formulations with ingredients you wouldn't find in a home kitchen (emulsifiers, humectants, flavour enhancers, modified starches, colours). Soft drinks, packaged snacks, mass-produced bread, ready meals, chicken nuggets. We tag each food by processing level and track the trend.

How do I read a UK food label?

Ingredients are listed by weight, biggest first. Allergens are in bold. The nutrition panel shows energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt per 100g and usually per serving. Front-of-pack traffic lights show fat, saturates, sugars and salt as red, amber or green. Compare two products on per 100g (serving sizes differ).

Calories, macros, reactions

Calories, macros and reactions.

We log, we surface, we don't prescribe. Anything that looks like a pattern: take it to your GP.

What are macros?

The three nutrients your body needs in large amounts: protein (4kcal/g), carbohydrates (4kcal/g), fat (9kcal/g). We log each macro per food and total them across your day.

How many calories should I eat?

Depends on age, sex, weight, height and activity. The NHS rough guide is around 2,000kcal a day for women and 2,500kcal for men to maintain weight. A TDEE calculator personalises that. We log what you eat so you can see the trend; we don't write personalised diet plans.

What vitamins and minerals does NutraSafe track?

Vitamins A, C, D, E and K and the B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium, on Pro. The diary updates in real time as you log, so you can see how each one compares with the NRV across the days, weeks and months you log. Vitamin D is the one most adults in the UK are advised to supplement in winter.

What's the difference between a food allergy and an intolerance?

An allergy involves the immune system. Symptoms appear quickly (minutes to hours): hives, swelling, breathing difficulties, anaphylaxis at the severe end. An intolerance is non-immune. Symptoms are usually digestive (bloating, cramps, loose stools) and build up more slowly. Diagnosis for both routes through your GP.

How do I work out if I have a food intolerance?

Keep a food and symptom diary for a few weeks. Note what you ate, when, and how you felt afterwards. Home intolerance tests are mostly unreliable. The NHS route is to take your diary to your GP, who can refer you to a registered dietitian. Our reaction tracker (free while you build a baseline) gives you something solid to take in.

What is intermittent fasting?

Eating cycles with longer breaks between meals. 16:8 means a 16-hour fast and an 8-hour eating window. 5:2 means eating normally five days a week and restricting calories on two. Water, black coffee and plain tea during fasts. Our fasting timer (Pro) covers the common protocols and a custom window. Talk to your GP first if you're pregnant, on diabetes medication, under 18, or have a history of disordered eating.

Privacy

Your data and privacy.

We sync to Firebase so your diary survives a new device. We don't sell your data. Full details on the privacy policy.

Where does my diary live?

On your iPhone or iPad and synced to your account in Firebase so it survives a new device. HealthKit sync runs both ways for workouts you choose to share.

Do you sell my data?

No. We don't take affiliate revenue from any food brand and we don't sell your diary. The money in the company comes from people paying for Pro. Read the privacy policy for the detail.

How do I download my data?

Settings → Privacy & data → Your data → Export diary for a spreadsheet or PDF (up to 3 months). The in-app export is the diary only. For anything else we hold, email support@nutrasafe.co.uk from your sign-in address. Full steps: how to manage your data.

How do I delete my account?

Settings → Privacy & data → Your data → Delete account. Your data is removed from our servers within 30 days. Email support@nutrasafe.co.uk if anything looks left behind. Same page: delete steps.

Still have questions?

It's free to download. With the free version you can log your food and get the calories, the macros and the number of additives. With Pro you get the AI Coach, suspected triggers from your reactions, vitamins and minerals, and a full workout app built in. Pro is £6.99 a month or £40.99 a year.

Get NutraSafe on the App Store → iPhone, iPad and Android · Cancel any time