Last updated: July 15, 2026
VeganLens (bundle identifier
com.ralvarezmar.veganchecker) is an iOS app that scans product
barcodes and retrieves public product information to show ingredients,
additives, allergens, nutrition information, and an indicative analysis of
whether a product is suitable for a vegan diet. The developer does not
operate a backend server for the app.
VeganLens does not collect personal data for the developer and does not require an account, login, or credentials. The current app includes no analytics, crash reporting, advertising, or third-party trackers.
The app stores the following only on your device:
These data are not sent to the developer. You can clear scan history, remove favorites, and clear the product cache in the app. Uninstalling the app removes its local data from the device.
VeganLens requests camera access to scan product barcodes and, optionally, capture an image of an ingredients list for text recognition. Barcode scanning and OCR run locally on the device using AVFoundation and Apple's Vision framework. Images used for OCR are processed only in memory: they are not uploaded or persistently stored, and the OCR image is not sent as part of a contribution.
Optional ingredient-list translation is presented using Apple's Translation framework and runs on the device. The ingredient text is not uploaded or sent to Apple for translation. VeganLens includes no analytics, tracking, or advertising.
When you scan or search for a product, the app may connect to these public databases in the Open Food Facts family:
The app sends the barcode or search terms needed to locate the product. Product images may be loaded from servers or CDNs named by those databases. Names, email addresses, and other personal identifiers are not sent.
These queries are governed by the terms and privacy policies of the relevant services. In particular, see Open Food Facts' privacy policy: world.openfoodfacts.org/privacy.
When a user actively chooses to contribute, they can select one of the four databases and submit a contribution. The contribution is published through the app's shared account; the user does not need to sign in or provide credentials. It includes the barcode and only the product fields the user filled in, such as product name, brand, quantity, categories, ingredients, and labels. If the user adds product photos, those photos are also sent to the selected database to add or replace product images. No names, email addresses, or other personal identifiers from the user are sent.
Contributions are sent only when the user explicitly starts the action. They may become publicly available under the selected database's terms, privacy policy, and applicable data license. Do not include personal information in text fields or photographs you submit.
Local data remain on the device until you clear them in the app, remove a favorite, the cache is replaced or removed, or you uninstall VeganLens. Contributions sent to a public database may be retained under its own rules and cannot be managed from VeganLens. Queries to third-party databases are subject to their own policies and retention periods.
iOS app sandboxing protects local storage from other apps. VeganLens does not store credentials or transmit data to the developer. No storage or transmission method can guarantee absolute security; keep iOS updated and download the app from trusted sources.
VeganLens is not specifically directed at children and does not knowingly collect children's personal data. No account is required.
You can control local data by clearing history, removing favorites, or uninstalling VeganLens. To exercise rights over data processed by a third-party database, contact that database under its own privacy policy. The developer does not operate a backend or user account through which local data can be identified or managed.
We may update this policy if VeganLens features or its services change. The revised version will be published on this page with an updated date.
For questions about this policy, contact the developer at: r.alvarezmar@gmail.com.