Summary
Genzairyo Check is a planned app that reads food ingredient labels written in Japanese with the camera and highlights the words for the allergens and ingredients you have chosen to avoid, such as meat, alcohol or wheat. Always confirm with the package and staff.
At a glance
| Status | Under consideration — not released (not on the App Store yet) |
|---|---|
| For | Visitors to Japan who cannot read Japanese labels (about 42.68 million in 2025), people with food allergies and their families, and people who avoid certain foods for religious or dietary reasons |
| Main features | Reading ingredient labels, a list of ingredients to avoid, highlighted matches, warnings for words whose origin is unclear, history |
| Devices | iPhone (iOS 26 or later, planned) |
| Languages | Reads Japanese labels first. App in English, Japanese and more (planned) |
| Planned pricing | Ad-supported with all features usable (not decided) |
| Data storage | On the device only. Text is read on the device |
Who it is for and what problem it solves
Ingredient labels on food in Japan are often only in Japanese, so people who cannot read Japanese cannot check for allergens, meat or alcohol on their own. Translating the whole label produces long text where the words that matter are hard to find.
- Showing staff an English card listing foods to avoid does not always work
- Full translations are long and the important words get buried
- Barcode-based apps often do not have Japanese products in their databases
Screens and features (planned)
Ingredients to avoid
- Choose from the allergens that Japanese labels must or should list (shrimp, crab, walnut, wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk, peanut and others)
- Choose groups by diet: meat (pork, beef and others), alcohol, gluten, animal-derived ingredients
- Add your own words
Scan screen
- Point the camera at the ingredient label and the text is read on the device
- Words matching your list are highlighted, with a list of matches at the top
- Each match is shown with its name in your language
Warnings
- Words such as gelatin, emulsifier or shortening, which may come from sources you avoid, get a warning that the origin is not stated on the label
- Statements such as "made in a factory that also handles..." are picked up and shown
History
- Keep a cropped photo and result for products you checked (can be turned off)
How it works (planned)
- Choose the ingredients you avoid
- Photograph the ingredient label in the store
- Check the highlighted words and warnings
- Confirm with the package and the staff before eating
Input and output
What you enter
- Your list of ingredients to avoid
- A photo of the ingredient label
What you get
- Highlighted matches and a list of them
- Warnings for words of unclear origin
- History (optional)
How your data is handled
- Text is read on the device; photos are not sent to our servers
- Your list and history stay on the device
- No account or sign-in
How it differs from existing apps
- Highlights only the words you want to avoid instead of translating everything
- Reads the label itself rather than relying on a barcode database
- Clearly flags words whose origin is unclear
What this app does not do
- It never says a product is "safe" or that an ingredient is absent. It only shows words it found
- It cannot detect cross-contact that is not printed on the label
- Text recognition can make mistakes. People with severe allergies must confirm with the package, staff and their doctor's advice
Frequently asked questions
Is Genzairyo Check available now?
No. It is under consideration and not on the App Store. This page describes the plan.
Is there an app to check whether Japanese snacks contain meat or allergens?
Genzairyo Check is a planned app that highlights the words for ingredients you avoid when you photograph a Japanese ingredient label. Always confirm with the package and staff.
How is it different from a translation app?
Instead of translating the whole label, it looks only for the ingredients on your list and highlights them, and warns about words whose origin is unclear.
Will it tell me a product contains no allergens?
No. It only shows the words it found and never judges safety, because recognition errors and unlisted cross-contact are possible.
Will it work without an internet connection?
The plan is to read labels on the device, so it is expected to work offline.
Which allergens will it cover?
Mainly the allergens Japanese labels must or should list, plus diet groups such as meat, alcohol and gluten, and words you add yourself.
Other languages
日本語 English 한국어 繁體中文 简体中文 Français Español Português Deutsch Italiano Türkçe العربية ไทย Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Polski
Last updated: 2026-10-25. This page describes a plan before development. No release date has been set.