How Recipe Solver reconstructs a packaged food

1. Scan the barcode so we know the exact product — not a similar name.
2. Read the ingredient label and nutrition panel. If the database is incomplete, photograph the package.
3. Parse every ingredient and nested sub-ingredient, then classify what each one is doing.
4. Translate factory ingredients into a home-cookable reconstruction.
5. Only then offer cleaner, allergen-aware, or budget variations. Substitutions come last.

Evidence, not a name

A product name is not a recipe. “Ranch dressing” in a database and the bottle in your fridge can differ by region, reformulation, and brand. When sources conflict, Recipe Solver surfaces the conflict instead of averaging them into false confidence.

Three kinds of confidence

Evidence is what the label and product record actually said. Reconstruction is how complete the homemade version is as an estimate. Tested is whether real cooks have cooked this version — still sparse, and we do not dress catalog samples as kitchen-tested.

Allergens and food safety

Allergen-aware means we try to avoid the allergens you list. Always check every ingredient you buy. Suggestions are not a guarantee. Cook poultry, meat, seafood, and eggs to a safe internal temperature — appearance is not doneness.

More on labels: how to read an ingredient list. Ratios we use when the label has no cups: culinary ratios. Trust language: what estimated reconstruction means. Scanner details: barcode recipe scanner.