How to use the app for conscious grocery shopping
Learn to recognise the most processed foods and choose truly simple, natural ones — in just a few minutes, without becoming an additives expert.
Before scanning, do three quick checks
Even before opening the app, look at the packaging. Front-of-pack labels are often designed to make products appear healthier than they really are.
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Look at the front of the pack
Watch out for claims like "sugar-free but with sweeteners", "fat-free but with emulsifiers", "extra flavour" or "flavoured". These often signal that the product has been heavily modified.
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Open the app and scan the product
Use the camera to scan the barcode or upload a photo of the label. The app will immediately show you the ingredient list and any additives present.
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Check three key points
How many additives appear (especially E codes)? How long and complex is the ingredient list? How much sugar, salt and fat is declared?
Three rules to quickly spot an "over-processed" food
You can apply these three rules every time you check a product in the app — no special knowledge required.
If the list is short and contains familiar names (e.g. "flour, water, salt, oil"), the product is minimally processed and generally more trustworthy.
Terms like "modified starches", "isolated proteins", "mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids", "flavour enhancers" or "complex flavourings" are a clear sign of a heavily processed food.
Not all E numbers are harmful, but their sheer number — colourants, preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers — signals a high degree of industrial processing.
How to read the app's result
Each product receives a quick rating — think of these colours as a food traffic light.
How to use the app practically while shopping
Fitting the app into your shopping routine is simpler than it sounds. Follow these four steps the first time — they will quickly become second nature.
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Start with the chilled and breakfast aisles
Scan yogurts, bread, milk, drinks. Look for products with few ingredients, few E numbers and simple sugars (fruit, milk, cane sugar) rather than syrups and sweeteners.
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Then move on to sweets and snacks
Check cakes, salty snacks, biscuits and packaged desserts. If the list is very long and full of E codes, the app will flag red. In those cases, always choose the simpler alternative (fruit, wholegrain bread, nuts).
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Use the app to compare similar products
Find two products of the same type (e.g. Greek yogurt, bread, snacks) and compare their app profiles. Often the one with fewer ingredients is only slightly less eye-catching on the shelf but far more natural.
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Keep "reds" as exceptions, not the rule
There's no need to eliminate everything ultra-processed — just reduce it. Set yourself a limit — for example, no more than 1–2 "red" products per week — while keeping the rest of your shop focused on simple foods.
Summary table
A quick overview of how to turn the app's result into concrete action.
| App result | What to do in practice |
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| 🟢 Few ingredients, few/no E numbers | Favour this as an everyday staple (e.g. plain yogurt, wholegrain bread, tomato passata). |
| 🟡 Some E numbers, moderate sugar | Use occasionally, not as a main food. |
| 🔴 Many E numbers, added sugars, complex flavourings | Limit or avoid: it is a highly processed food, best kept as a rare exception. |
Why learning to read additives really makes a difference
Recognising highly processed foods is not "additive phobia" — it is paying attention to the quality of what we eat. Many studies suggest that reducing ultra-processed foods helps with long-term weight management, cardiovascular health and metabolic stability.
The app gives you a practical tool: you don't need to memorise every E code, just learn to spot the signs of excessive processing and trust the quick rating.
Ready to shop more consciously?
Download the app and try scanning 3–4 products you usually buy: you'll be surprised how much your view of grocery shopping changes.
Discover E-Codes Reader →