About FoodCheckr
FoodCheckr is an independent iPhone app built by Marwan Akhandaf, a solo developer based in Belgium. It scans food barcodes and ingredient labels for insect-derived additives, E-numbers, allergens and nutrition. It is not run by a food manufacturer, a certification body or a medical organisation.
Who makes this
FoodCheckr is built and maintained by Marwan Akhandaf, an independent iOS developer based in Belgium. There is no company behind it and no editorial team. One person writes the app and one person writes this site.
The app has been on the App Store since May 2023 and is currently on version 2.1.2. It has 319 ratings across 22 storefronts, averaging 4.3 out of 5. Those figures come from Apple's public lookup API rather than from us, and you can check them yourself on the App Store listing.
Why label scanning specifically
FoodCheckr is not a one-off. It is one of three food-label scanners on the same App Store developer account, each built around a different question people ask about an ingredient list:
- FoodCheckr for insect-derived additives, E-numbers and nutrition
- HalalFoodScan for halal and haram ingredients
- VeganCheckr for animal-derived ingredients
Reading additive regulation is what this work consists of day to day. That is the basis for the guides on this site: not a qualification, but sustained practical familiarity with how these ingredients are named, coded and declared.
I am a software developer. I am not a doctor, dietitian, allergist, food scientist, or religious authority. Nothing on this site is medical advice or a religious ruling.
For an allergy, particularly one that can cause anaphylaxis, work with an allergist and carry any medication you have been prescribed. For a religious dietary question, follow your own certifying body. This site is written to help you know what to ask about, not to answer on their behalf.
How the guides are written
Every guide and article follows the same rules.
Regulatory claims are tied to real instruments. EU insect authorisations, additive permissions and allergen labelling rules all come from named regulations, and where a claim rests on one it should be checkable.
Uncertainty is stated rather than smoothed over. Where the evidence is genuinely unsettled, the page says so. MSG is the clearest example: the population-level evidence for harm is weak, some individuals report consistent reactions, and both of those things are true at once. The same applies to carrageenan, to castoreum, and to the scholarly difference on beef gelatin.
The app's limits are stated on the pages that sell it. A scanner reads what is declared. It cannot detect processing aids like isinglass or bone char, cannot resolve source-ambiguous additives like E471, and cannot chemically test anything.
Corrections are made rather than quietly buried. If something here is wrong, tell me and I will fix it.
What this site earns
The app is free to download. There are optional in-app purchases for extended AI analysis. This site links to the App Store and earns nothing else: no advertising, no affiliate commission, no sponsored placements, and no payment from any brand mentioned. Products named in the guides are named because they illustrate a point, not because anyone paid for it.
Corrections and contact
If you spot an error, especially on the allergy or halal pages, please get in touch. Corrections to factual claims take priority over everything else.
Frequently asked
Is FoodCheckr affiliated with any food brand?
No. It is independent, earns nothing from any manufacturer, and carries no advertising or affiliate links. Brands are named in the guides only as examples.
Are you medically qualified?
No. I am a software developer, not a clinician or dietitian. The guides are written to help you know which ingredients need checking and what to ask about. They are not medical advice, and for allergies you should work with an allergist.
Can FoodCheckr certify food as halal or vegan?
No, and no app should claim to. Certification depends on ingredient sourcing, slaughter method and production-line separation, none of which appears on a label. The app identifies which ingredients need checking so you know what to ask a manufacturer or look for on a certification mark.