1. The Badge System
We use a simple traffic light system, plus a special "Community Trusted" badge for our highest-rated locations.
Community Trusted
The Gold Standard. Earned after consecutive incident-free reviews. If a restaurant ever has an incident report, it must earn trust with a clean incident-free review streak before this badge can return.
Reported Safe
Starts as Caution and moves to Reported Safe only after a streak of positive user reviews.
New (Gray)
Less than 5 reviews so far, but all have been reported safe. A promising start that needs more community data.
Caution
Used when community experiences are mixed or data is thin and a clear safe pattern has not emerged.
Alert
Incident Reported. Recent incident reports or low safety feedback keep this listing in Alert status until consecutive good reviews rebuild community trust.
2. How We Calculate the Score
We don't ask the community to "guess" a number. Our algorithm calculates a score (0-100) based on three factors:
The Vibe (Sentiment)
How safe did the user feel dining there? (Max 80 pts)
The Work (Protocols)
Did the user speak to a Chef? Did staff confirm safe protocols (e.g., separate prep/fresh gloves)? (Bonus Points)
Safety Reset (The "Kill Switch")
If an incident is reported, the score drops to 10 immediately.
3. How We Show Reviews
The directory is a summary view of every review submitted. We surface the combined score, safety status, and badges for each restaurant so you can scan quickly, then dive deeper when you need details.
Summary on the main page
Each card rolls up all reviews into a single snapshot: current status (Green/Yellow/Red), the Community Trusted badge if earned, and key safe-for allergens.
See a restaurant's reviews
Open any restaurant from the directory to read every individual review tied to that place, including notes on protocols, allergens, and dates.
Browse all reviews
Use the "Community Feed" view to scan every submission across the community, filter by status, and spot trends or recent updates.
The "One Strike" Rule
If a restaurant receives a credible community report of an allergic incident due to negligence, they immediately lose their Trusted Badge and drop to Red Status until they rebuild trust through a new streak of safe user reviews.
1. Finding Products
Search and filter the grocery directory to find products that work for your specific allergies.
Search by name or brand
Type any product name or brand into the search bar. Results update as you type.
Filter by allergen
Select one or more allergens from the filter bar. Results show only products the community has marked as safe for all of your selected allergens.
Filter by store or category
Narrow results to products available at a specific store (Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, etc.) or within a category like Snacks, Dairy-Free, or Baking.
2. Safe For Chips
Each product card shows green "Safe for" chips — one per allergen the community has flagged it safe for.
Community-reported, not certified
These chips reflect what real people managing those allergies have found to work for them. They are not an official allergen certification. Ingredients and manufacturing can change.
Add what you know
Each card has a + button next to "Safe for." If you know this product is safe for an allergen not yet listed, tap it and add your experience.
Always check the physical label
Before buying or consuming any product, verify the current ingredient list and allergen statements on the actual package. Formulations change, and community data may not reflect the latest version.
3. Store Availability & Buy Links
Blue chips on each card show which stores carry the product, and some chips link directly to the product page.
Community sightings
Store chips are added by community members who found the product there. Use the + button next to "Available at" to report a new location.
Clickable buy links
When a product page URL is added (Target, Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, etc.), the matching store chip becomes a direct link to that product page. The icon in the chip indicates it's clickable.
Affiliate links
Some links (Amazon in particular) may be affiliate links. You pay the same price — a small commission helps support the site. Non-affiliate direct links are not marked.
4. Submitting a Product
Found a product that works for your allergy? Add it so the next person searching can find it too.
Paste a product page URL
Paste any product URL (Target, Amazon, a brand's site, etc.) and hit Fetch. We'll try to auto-fill the name, brand, and image. The URL also becomes the buy link on the card.
UPC / barcode lookup
Enter the barcode number from the package and we'll look it up in the USDA and Open Food Facts databases to pre-fill product details automatically.
Manual entry
No URL or barcode? Fill in the name, brand, category, stores, and allergens by hand. Every field is optional except the product name and at least one allergen.
Goes live immediately
There's no approval queue. Submitted products appear in the directory right away so the community can start confirming allergens and store locations.