NoJunk Food Additive Scanner: Frequently Asked Questions

How does NoJunk scan food labels?

NoJunk uses AI-powered OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to scan food labels instantly. Simply point your iPhone camera at any ingredient list, and NoJunk reads every ingredient, assigns color-coded health scores (red, orange, or green), and provides detailed explanations of each additive. No barcode is needed -- just the ingredient label. The entire scan takes about 3 seconds.

What additives does NoJunk detect?

NoJunk detects a comprehensive range of food additives and harmful ingredients, including:

• E-numbers (E100-E1520) -- the complete European food additive database
• Artificial preservatives -- BHA, BHT, TBHQ, sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate
• Artificial colors -- Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Caramel Color
• Artificial sweeteners -- aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame K
• Trans fats -- partially hydrogenated oils
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• MSG (E621) and other flavor enhancers

The AI cross-references every ingredient against comprehensive toxicology and food safety databases to flag anything potentially harmful.

Is NoJunk free?

Yes, NoJunk is a completely free food ingredient scanner app. There is no subscription, no premium tier, and no paywall. You get 10 AI-powered scans per hour with full ingredient analysis, color-coded health scores, and detailed additive explanations. Unlike other food scanner apps that lock features behind a paywall, NoJunk gives you everything for free, forever.

Can NoJunk scan food labels for toxins and harmful chemicals?

Yes. NoJunk is specifically designed as an app to scan products for harmful ingredients, toxins, and dangerous chemicals in food. The AI identifies substances linked to serious health concerns including carcinogenic effects, hormonal disruption, allergic reactions, and hyperactivity in children. Each flagged ingredient gets a red or orange warning with a detailed explanation of the specific health risk, so you can make informed decisions at the grocery store.

How is NoJunk different from Yuka and other food scanner apps?

NoJunk stands out as the best free food scanning app for additives for several reasons: it is 100% free forever with no subscription required (unlike Yuka which charges $15/year for premium), it focuses on deep ingredient-level analysis rather than just Nutri-Score ratings, it covers the complete E-number database (E100-E1520), it uses advanced AI vision for superior accuracy even in poor lighting, and it never stores your photos or requires you to create an account. Read the full NoJunk vs Yuka comparison.

Does NoJunk work without a barcode?

Yes. Unlike barcode-based food scanner apps that depend on a product database, NoJunk scans the actual ingredient label text using AI-powered camera OCR. This means it works on any product from any country -- even items without barcodes like bakery goods, deli items, farmers market products, or imported foods. Just point your camera at the ingredient list and get instant results.

Does NoJunk store my photos or personal data?

No. NoJunk is built with a privacy-first design. Ingredient label images are temporarily sent to a secure cloud service for AI analysis and immediately discarded after processing -- they are never stored on any server. Your scan history stays on your device only. No account is required, no usage tracking, no analytics. Zero personal data is collected. Read our full privacy policy.

What do the color codes mean in NoJunk?

NoJunk uses a simple traffic-light system to help you quickly identify dangerous ingredients:

• Green -- safe and healthy ingredient, no known concerns
• Orange -- consume in moderation, some health concerns exist
• Red -- harmful ingredient to avoid, linked to health risks

Each ingredient also receives a granular 0-100 health score based on scientific research, so you get both a quick visual indicator and detailed information.

What devices support NoJunk?

NoJunk requires iOS 17 or later and runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple Silicon, and Apple Vision Pro. The app is optimized for iPhone for the best food label scanning experience. An Android version is not currently available, but you can use the E-number guide and harmful additives guide on any device.

Can I use NoJunk while grocery shopping?

Absolutely -- NoJunk is designed as your grocery shopping companion. Use it to scan products for harmful ingredients right in the store aisle, compare similar products side-by-side to find healthier alternatives, and build a scan history for your regular purchases. The app works in real time with results in about 3 seconds, so you can quickly check multiple products without slowing down your shopping trip.