This article explains how AlignEat reads a menu and arrives at the labels you see on each dish.
The four steps
- Read the menu text. The app extracts the text from the photo you take, including dish names, descriptions, and listed ingredients.
- Identify the dishes. It breaks the menu into individual dishes and their components.
- Match against your profile. Each dish is compared to the dietary restrictions and severity levels you set in your profile.
- Apply a label. Based on that match, the dish receives one of four labels.
What the labels mean
- Compatible. Nothing in the menu text conflicts with your profile.
- Adaptable. The dish may work if you ask for a modification, such as removing a topping.
- Could not confirm. The menu text did not have enough detail to make a call. Treat this with the same caution as an avoid label and ask staff.
- Avoid. The menu text contains something that conflicts with your restrictions.
The limits of menu text
The app can only use what is written on the menu. Menus are sometimes brief or out of date. When information is limited, AlignEat errs on the side of caution and asks you to check with staff rather than guessing.
Good to know
- Your severity levels matter. The app takes into account how seriously you have flagged each restriction, so the results are personalised to you.
- A compatible label is not a guarantee. Recipes change and kitchens can have cross contact. Always confirm with restaurant staff before ordering and eating.
- You can update your profile any time to keep your results accurate.
Related: Important: always confirm with restaurant staff, My scan failed or the results look wrong