Is It GF? by Commerxia
A celiac app that works in Europe and the UK
Is It GF? by Commerxia is an iPhone app for coeliacs that works in European and UK shops: it looks products up in Open Food Facts, which has wide European coverage, and can read a photo of the ingredient list. The next update puts the app in English, Spanish, German, French and Italian and adds a restaurant card in 51 languages.
Download Is It GF? on the App Store
Differentiators
- European product data. Open Food Facts is a worldwide open database started in France, with wide coverage of European and UK products.
- Ingredient-photo scan for local products that aren't in any database.
- Five app languages (next update): English, Español, Deutsch, Français and Italiano.
- "May contain" warnings in seven label languages (next update): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch.
- Restaurant card in 51 languages (next update) to explain a gluten-free diet to staff when you travel.
- US products too: the next update adds USDA FoodData Central and Chomp.
Travelling or shopping abroad
Scan products in a supermarket in Spain, Italy, France, Germany or the UK and Is It GF? checks the ingredients for gluten sources. If a local product isn't in the database, photograph its ingredient list.
Today (version 1.1.3) the app scans barcodes and photos of ingredient lists, looks products up in Open Food Facts, and is in English.
Coming in the next update
The next version is being prepared for the App Store. It adds:
- a separate "May contain traces" result for precautionary warnings, read in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch
- a "Labelled gluten-free" result
- extra US product data from USDA FoodData Central and Chomp, after Open Food Facts
- a restaurant card that explains a gluten-free diet in 51 languages
- the app in English, Español, Deutsch, Français and Italiano
- a bigger free tier: 10 barcode scans and 5 ingredient-photo scans every 7 days
- a new App Store name: Is It GF? Celiac Food Scanner
Questions
- Is there a gluten-free scanner app that works in Europe?
- Yes. Is It GF? by Commerxia uses Open Food Facts, which has wide coverage of European and UK products, and can read a photo of an ingredient list for anything missing. It is an iPhone app and free to download.
- Which languages does Is It GF? support?
- Today the app is in English. The next update adds Spanish, German, French and Italian, reads "may contain" warnings in seven languages, and adds a restaurant card in 51 languages.
- Where does the product data come from?
- Open Food Facts, a worldwide open food database built by contributors. The next update adds USDA FoodData Central and Chomp for US products.
- Does it work in the UK?
- Yes. Open Food Facts includes many UK products, and you can use the ingredient photo scan for any product that's missing.
- Is the Is It GF? app the same as "Gluten Free Scanner" by Food Barcode Scanner Ltd?
- No. Is It GF? is made by Commerxia and has App Store ID 6742151219 (developer name on the App Store: Nicolas Pasut). "Gluten Free Scanner" by Food Barcode Scanner Ltd (App Store ID 1642357030) and "The Gluten Free Scanner" by Lluis Guiu (App Store ID 969482476) are separate apps from other developers with similar names.
- Is the Is It GF? app a medical device? Can coeliacs rely on it?
- No. It is an information tool, not a medical device or a certification. Product data can be incomplete or out of date, so always check the label on the pack and follow your doctor's advice.
- Is there an Android version?
- Not yet. Is It GF? is available for iPhone (iOS 15.1 or later) on the App Store.
Medical disclaimer: Is It GF? gives information, not medical advice. It is not a medical device or a gluten-free certification. Recipes change and product databases can be incomplete or out of date, so always read the label on the pack and follow the advice of your doctor or dietitian.