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Custom Allergens

Learn how to set up and manage custom allergen tracking in Pantrie.

Overview

Custom allergens allow you to define household-specific dietary restrictions. Pantrie automatically checks item ingredients and displays warnings when allergens are detected.

Features

  • Custom Allergen Lists: Define allergens specific to your household
  • Automatic Detection: Ingredients are checked against your allergen list
  • Visual Warnings: Clear alerts on items containing allergens
  • Open Food Facts Integration: Works alongside official allergen data
  • Word Boundary Matching: Accurate detection using intelligent pattern matching

Setting Up Custom Allergens

Adding Allergens

  1. Navigate to Settings → Household Settings
  2. Scroll to the Custom Allergens section
  3. Click Add Allergen
  4. Enter the allergen name (e.g., "peanuts", "soy", "dairy")
  5. Click Add or press Enter

Common Allergens

Consider adding:

  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Soy
  • Dairy
  • Eggs
  • Wheat/Gluten
  • Shellfish
  • Fish
  • Sesame

Removing Allergens

  1. Find the allergen in your list
  2. Click the × (delete) button
  3. Confirm removal

How Detection Works

Ingredient Matching

Pantrie uses intelligent matching to detect allergens:

Allergen: "peanut"
✅ Matches: "peanuts", "peanut butter", "roasted peanuts"
❌ Doesn't match: "pea" (word boundary protection)

Case-Insensitive

Matching is case-insensitive:

Allergen: "dairy"
✅ Matches: "Dairy", "DAIRY", "dairy products"

Word Boundaries

Uses word boundaries to avoid false positives:

Allergen: "soy"
✅ Matches: "soy sauce", "soy protein"
❌ Doesn't match: "soybeans" (unless you add "soybean" separately)

Allergen Warnings

Where Warnings Appear

Warnings are shown in two places:

1. Inventory Card View

Small allergen indicator appears on item cards when allergens are detected.

2. Item Detail Modal

Detailed allergen information shows:

  • Custom allergens detected in ingredients
  • Open Food Facts allergen data
  • Full ingredient list for review

Warning Display

Allergen Detected: Peanuts

This item contains ingredients matching your custom allergens.

Combined Allergen Data

Pantrie shows both:

  • Custom Allergens: Your household-specific list
  • Open Food Facts Allergens: Official allergen data from the product

Example display:

⚠️ Allergens Detected

Custom Allergens:
- Peanuts
- Soy

From Open Food Facts:
- Peanuts
- May contain traces of tree nuts

Best Practices

Be Specific

Add both singular and plural forms if needed:

  • "peanut" AND "peanuts"
  • "nut" AND "nuts"

Add Variations

Include common variations:

  • "milk" AND "dairy"
  • "wheat" AND "gluten"

Review Ingredients

Always review the full ingredient list for accuracy. Automated detection is helpful but not a substitute for careful review.

Critical Allergies

For severe allergies, always manually review ingredient lists. Automated detection is a convenience tool, not a medical device.

Keep Lists Updated

  • Add new allergens as dietary needs change
  • Remove allergens no longer relevant
  • Review periodically with household members

Limitations

Text-Based Matching

  • Only detects allergens mentioned in ingredient text
  • Cannot detect unlisted allergens
  • Depends on ingredient data quality

Data Quality

  • Accuracy depends on Open Food Facts data
  • Manual entries may not have ingredient lists
  • Some products may have incomplete data

Not Medical Advice

Medical Disclaimer

This feature is for convenience only. Always:

  • Read product labels carefully
  • Consult with medical professionals
  • Verify information before consumption
  • Be aware of cross-contamination risks

Permission Requirements

Who Can Manage Allergens

Only household Admins can:

  • Add custom allergens
  • Remove custom allergens
  • Modify the allergen list

Who Can View Warnings

All household members can:

  • See allergen warnings
  • View which allergens are detected
  • Access full ingredient lists

Troubleshooting

Allergen Not Detected

  1. Check spelling: Ensure allergen name matches ingredient text exactly
  2. Add variations: Try adding both "peanut" and "peanuts"
  3. Review ingredients: Verify the item has ingredient data
  4. Check word boundaries: "soy" won't match "soybeans"

False Positives

If you see incorrect matches:

  1. Remove the allergen temporarily
  2. Add more specific terms: "soy sauce" instead of just "soy"
  3. Report data issues to Open Food Facts if product data is wrong

Missing Ingredient Data

If items don't have ingredients:

  • Manual entries may need ingredients added
  • Some barcoded items may have incomplete data
  • You can manually edit items to add ingredient information

Examples

Example 1: Peanut Allergy

Setup: 

Custom Allergens:
- peanut
- peanuts
- peanut butter

Results: - ✅ Detects: "Contains peanuts" - ✅ Detects: "peanut butter" - ✅ Detects: "Roasted PEANUTS" - ❌ Misses: "groundnuts" (alternative name)

Example 2: Dairy Free

Setup: 

Custom Allergens:
- milk
- dairy
- cream
- butter
- cheese
- whey
- casein
- lactose

Results: - ✅ Comprehensive coverage - ✅ Catches most dairy ingredients - ❌ May miss obscure dairy derivatives

Integration with Open Food Facts

Custom allergens complement Open Food Facts data:

Open Food Facts Provides

  • Official allergen declarations
  • May contain" warnings
  • Standardized allergen names

Custom Allergens Add

  • Household-specific restrictions
  • Additional ingredients to watch
  • Flexible matching

Together They Offer

  • Comprehensive allergen detection
  • Multiple layers of protection
  • Flexibility for unique dietary needs

Next Steps