Features
The Food Scan: How AI Estimation Works and Why You Review It
The food scan takes a photo of a meal, label, or menu and returns an editable estimate of likely ingredients and purine-related factors, along with a confidence level — and it asks you to review and confirm the result before it becomes part of your record.
What a scan does
Point Gout Radar at a plate, a grocery label, or a restaurant menu, and it identifies likely ingredients and estimates purine-related factors for what it sees. The output is a structured draft: recognized items, portion assumptions, the factors it considered, and a confidence rating. You then correct anything that looks wrong — portion size, a misread ingredient, a swapped side — and confirm it.
The design choice that matters is the confirm step. An image estimate is treated as a draft, never as a finished fact. This mirrors how the rest of the app works: estimates invite review, and only confirmed records enter your history.
Why estimates, not verdicts
A photo cannot measure purines in a laboratory sense. It cannot see how a dish was prepared, the exact weight of each component, or sauces hidden underneath. So the scan is deliberately framed as an educational estimate with a confidence level, not a precise measurement and not a judgment about whether a food is fine or off-limits. No food is labeled absolutely good or bad.
A scan never tells you that a food is safe or unsafe for you personally. It gives context to consider; the decision is yours, made with your healthcare professional where appropriate.
The three-step flow
- Scan — capture a meal, label, or menu.
- Review — check recognized ingredients, portion assumptions, factors, and confidence.
- Confirm — correct the draft and save it to your record.
What happens to the image
Privacy is part of the feature, not an afterthought. A scan sends only the selected image for analysis — not your health profile, lab values, symptoms, or medication records. The image is deleted after the analysis reaches a result, with a cleanup target within 24 hours, and the structured result may be kept for up to 90 days so an interrupted scan can recover. The privacy deep dive explains the full data flow.
Where scanning fits in the bigger picture
Scanning is most useful alongside the rest of your record. A scanned meal lands next to your hydration logs, lab results, and flare entries, so over time you build a connected picture rather than isolated snapshots. If you are new to why any of this matters, start with what gout is and the first-30-days use case. Free accounts get 3 AI scans a week; PRO unlocks unlimited scans and menu comparison.
The scan is a fast first pass. You are the editor. That is the whole point.
Frequently asked questions
Is the food scan a medical test?
No. It produces an educational estimate of ingredients and purine-related factors from an image. It is not a laboratory measurement and not a medical determination.
Why do I have to confirm a scan?
Because image analysis can be incomplete or wrong. Reviewing ingredients, portions, and confidence before saving keeps your record accurate and keeps you in control.
How many scans do I get?
Free accounts include 3 AI scans per week with unlimited manual records. PRO unlocks unlimited scans, menu comparison, and 30/90-day visit summaries.
Does the scan see my health data?
No. A scan sends only the selected image for analysis. Your health profile, lab values, symptoms, and medication records are not included in a scan request.
Track it with Gout Radar
Free to start: 3 AI scans a week and unlimited manual records. PRO unlocks unlimited scans, menu comparison, and 30/90-day visit summaries.
Gout Radar provides educational estimates and organizes records. It does not diagnose gout, predict flares, or recommend treatment. Confirm health and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.