Frequently Asked Questions

FoodSavr is grocery tracking and meal planning software for households. You log what you bought, see what is expiring, and get meal ideas from the kitchen. Capture with a receipt photo, grocery photo, barcode, or voice. It is live on the web at app.foodsavr.ca and on Android via Google Play. iOS is on the roadmap. Longer definition: foodsavr.ca/what-is-foodsavr

Both, plus a meal planner. A grocery tracker logs the shop. A pantry app tracks what is still on the shelf. FoodSavr does capture and inventory, then uses expiry dates to suggest dinner. That is why it is not only a shopping list. Comparison: foodsavr.ca/grocery-tracker-vs-pantry-app

Snap the receipt so FoodSavr logs items and predicted expiry dates. Check the home screen for what expires soon. Ask Sous Chef what to cook tonight - it prioritizes those items and shows what you have versus what to buy. Cook, then mark how much you used. Steps: foodsavr.ca/how-foodsavr-works

You can add items in four powerful ways: 1) Bulk Grocery Entry - Take a photo of your groceries and AI automatically identifies all items, estimates quantities, assigns categories, calculates costs, and predicts expiry dates. Add dozens of items in seconds. 2) Receipt Scanner - Snap a photo of your grocery receipt and AI extracts all items with prices and purchase dates. 3) Barcode Scanner - Scan product barcodes for instant recognition from a global food database. 4) Voice Input - Use premium hands-free voice interface to add items while cooking or unpacking (supports English and Tamil). After an item exists, you can attach your own photo to that item as a visual tag (see the next question).

Yes. You can attach a picture to individual items so you remember how something looks, what is inside opaque or reused containers, and which variant you bought. Visual tags make it easier for everyone in your home to recognize the same item, cut mix ups between similar products, and scan your inventory faster than reading text alone. That mirrors why many inventory systems use photos: quick identification, fewer errors, and a shared picture of what you actually have on hand.

Sous Chef AI is your intelligent cooking assistant that generates personalized recipes using ingredients from your inventory. The AI automatically prioritizes items that are expiring soon (within 3 days) to help reduce food waste. Features interactive recipe cards with cooking instructions and ingredient lists. Ask 'What to cook tonight?' and it will recommend recipes, showing how many ingredients you have vs. need to buy. Supports voice input in English and Tamil for hands-free questions - you speak and your question is transcribed to text, then the AI displays recipe suggestions on screen as text and images.

FoodSavr sends smart alerts when items are approaching their expiry date with color-coded visual indicators. You'll see 'Soon to Expire' items highlighted on your home screen with escalating urgency as dates approach. Enable weekly email notifications that summarize all items expiring in the next 7 days, helping you plan meals proactively. Notification preferences are fully customizable in your profile settings.

Yes! FoodSavr offers flexible grouping with 113+ food subcategories featuring intuitive emoji icons for visual identification. Organize items by: Category, Sub-category, Consumption level (¼, ½, ¾, Full, Not Consumed), or None with collapsible sections. Sort by purchase date, expiry date, or last modified date in ascending/descending order. Search functionality helps you find items quickly across all your kitchens.

Yes! FoodSavr is live on the web at app.foodsavr.ca (January 2026) with the soon-to-expire home screen widget on supported devices. There is an Android build on Google Play; our blog has a short overview and the store link. foodsavr.ca/android-testing still documents the older open-testing flow if you need it; foodsavr.ca/blog/join-foodsavr-android-open-testing is the longer historical guide. iOS is planned for mid 2026. Your data syncs across platforms via the Supabase cloud backend.

Absolutely! Create and manage unlimited shopping lists with Google Keep-style interface. Features include drag-to-reorder items, check off purchased items, auto-save functionality, and share lists with family or roommates via messages or WhatsApp. Items from recipes suggested by Sous Chef AI can be automatically added to your list for seamless meal planning.

Premium voice input lets you add inventory items completely hands-free using speech-to-text technology while cooking or unpacking groceries. Speak naturally and FoodSavr transcribes your voice into text entries. Features real-time voice visualization showing your spoken words as they're converted to text with instant processing (under 500ms). Works seamlessly in English and Tamil with automatic language detection. Perfect for when your hands are covered in flour, oil, or food residue. Say 'Add two cartons of eggs expiring February 15' and FoodSavr transcribes it into a text entry instantly - no typing, no washing hands, no interrupting your workflow. Note: This is voice input (speech-to-text), not voice conversation - the app displays text responses on screen.

FoodSavr supports granular consumption tracking with five levels: Not Consumed, ¼ consumed, ½ consumed, ¾ consumed, and Fully Consumed. When you use an item, mark its consumption level to track waste accurately and understand your actual consumption patterns over time. The app calculates your real environmental impact and savings based on consumption patterns, helping you make smarter shopping decisions.

FoodSavr currently supports full app localization in English and Tamil with automatic translation. Your language preference is saved to your profile and applies across all features. Voice input for search and Sous Chef AI interactions works in both English and Tamil with automatic language detection, perfect for multilingual households.

Yes! FoodSavr supports multiple kitchen inventories. Manage separate inventories for home, office, vacation property, or any other location. Switch between kitchens easily and keep track of food across all your locations. You can also edit kitchen names and delete kitchens with cascade delete functionality.

FoodSavr offers three subscription tiers: Free, Plus, and Pro plans with varying limits on AI-powered features (bulk photo recognition, receipt scanner, barcode scanner, Sous Chef AI). Upgrade seamlessly through integrated Stripe payment processing. Fair billing ensures you're only charged for successful AI scans that actually find items - if a scan fails to detect anything, no charge. Subscription details and upgrade options are available in your profile settings.

The average Canadian household wastes approximately $1,000 worth of food annually. By tracking expiry dates, planning meals around existing inventory, and using Sous Chef AI to cook with what you have, FoodSavr users typically reduce waste by 40-60%, saving $400-$600 per year.

Food waste contributes significantly to climate change. When food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane - a greenhouse gas 25x more potent than CO2. Globally, food waste generates 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions. FoodSavr helps you track your carbon footprint reduction as you waste less food.

In Canadian households, the top wasted items are: 1) Fresh produce (vegetables and fruits) - 25-30%, 2) Bread and baked goods - 15-20%, 3) Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) - 15%, 4) Leftovers - 10-15%, and 5) Meat and seafood - 8-10%. FoodSavr's expiry tracking helps prevent all these categories from going to waste.

'Best Before' dates indicate peak quality - food is still safe to eat after this date, though flavor or texture may decline. 'Use By' or 'Expiry' dates are safety indicators, especially for perishables like meat and dairy. FoodSavr tracks both types and provides context to help you make informed decisions about food safety.

Key strategies include: 1) Meal planning with Sous Chef AI using existing inventory, 2) Proper storage (FoodSavr provides storage tips per item category), 3) Understanding portion sizes to avoid over-purchasing, 4) Freezing items before they expire, 5) Composting unavoidable waste, and 6) Sharing excess with neighbors or food banks. FoodSavr's analytics show which food categories you waste most, helping you adjust purchasing habits.

FoodSavr was founded in Calgary by Subramanian Narayanan, who experienced firsthand the challenges of managing a busy household kitchen while minimizing waste. Alberta has a strong sustainability culture and growing awareness of food security issues. The app's features (like currency support for CAD, regional pricing data, and local food bank partnerships) are optimized for Canadian users, though the platform works globally.