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How KidLabelScan works

KidLabelScan reads the ingredients list from a food label and matches the additives it detects against our curated database.

What an E-number means

An E-number is simply an identification code given to a food additive for labelling purposes. It tells you which additive is present — it is not a danger rating and it does not describe how risky an ingredient is.

Many everyday ingredients have E-numbers, including citric acid and pectin. Seeing an E-number on a label is normal.

How we flag additives

KidLabelScan only shows an elevated child-related or regulatory flag when it is supported by predefined, reviewed criteria stored in our database. Those flags are written by us in advance, with a named source — they are never generated while you scan.

The image-reading step may help transcribe and tidy up text, but it never decides an attention level, a regulatory status, a warning or a source. If an additive has not been reviewed and given a flag, KidLabelScan shows it as information only.

What KidLabelScan does not do

KidLabelScan does not decide whether a whole food is healthy, unhealthy, safe or unsafe. It does not produce an overall product score or ranking.

The free version analyses E-additives and the allergen wording printed on the label. Allergen detection relies on readable label wording and separates “contains” declarations from “may contain” statements; the original manufacturer packaging remains the source of truth. Standard (€1.99/month or €10.00/year, 100 scans per month) and PRO (€4.99/month or €49.00/year, unlimited) additionally unlock sugar, sweetener and hydrogenated/trans-fat indicator analysis. No plan assesses salt, vitamins, macronutrients or overall nutritional quality, and none of it is medical advice.

Where our information comes from

Every reviewed additive record carries a source organisation, a source title and a link, plus the date we last reviewed it. You can open the original source from any result card.

Read the full disclaimer