Food Label Analysis and Ingredient Safety

Recently, there has been a growing concern with food labeling, ingredient safety, and transparency on a global level. Consumers want to learn about allergens, additives, and nutrients, but complexity in interpretation has challenged them. The study investigates and evaluates food labels while integrating ingredient entry, public transparency, and label analysis through the processes of assessing, labeling, and interpreting. The application of OCR technology on food images from multiple brands extracts ingredient lists and nutritional information that indicate allergens and regulated substances. The results suggest lapses in the labeling, ones that are inconsistent with the description of the so-called ‘clean’ allergens, which have completely different public health implications. The proposed study provides a tool for food safety by analyzing the automated software proposed for label analysis to inform policies and guide consumer decisions.