Allergen Protection
Allergen Protection
Rubric scans every AI-generated food analysis and coaching suggestion against your allergy profile — including hidden allergen sources in common dishes.
Setting your allergies
Allergies are collected during onboarding on a dedicated safety-critical screen. You must either select your allergies or explicitly confirm that you have none before proceeding. This is not a step you can skip or accidentally bypass.
Ten allergen categories are available:
| Category | Category |
|---|---|
| Peanuts | Tree Nuts |
| Shellfish | Fish |
| Dairy | Lactose |
| Eggs | Soy |
| Sesame | Gluten |
After onboarding, your allergies are displayed in your Profile with clear visual emphasis. To update them, use the “Re-tune My Targets” option in your profile settings, which walks you through the selection again.
How scanning works
Allergen scanning is one component of the Iron Dome — the deterministic safety layer that validates all AI output. When you log a meal by text, voice, or photo, the AI’s nutrition analysis is scanned for allergens before the results appear. When the Coach recommends foods or discusses meals, those suggestions are scanned against your profile as well.
The scanner uses pattern matching with word-boundary detection. This means “egg” is flagged for egg allergies, but “eggplant” is not. The system matches against known terms for each allergen category, including alternate names and common preparations.
Hidden source detection
Some foods contain allergens that are not obvious from the dish name. This is where Rubric’s scanning goes beyond a simple ingredient keyword check.
| Dish | Hidden allergen | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pad Thai | Peanut | Traditional recipe includes crushed peanuts |
| Satay | Peanut | Made with peanut sauce |
| Pesto | Tree Nut | Made with pine nuts |
| Baklava | Tree Nut | Made with layered nuts |
| Caesar Dressing | Fish | Contains anchovies |
| Worcestershire Sauce | Fish | Contains anchovies |
| Oyster Sauce | Shellfish | Made from oysters |
| Fish Sauce | Shellfish | Common in Southeast Asian dishes |
| Soy Sauce | Wheat / Gluten | Brewed with wheat |
| Beer | Wheat / Gluten | Brewed from barley and wheat |
| Falafel | Sesame | Often served with tahini |
| Baba Ganoush | Sesame | Contains tahini |
When the scanner detects a hidden source, the warning specifies that the dish may contain the allergen and asks you to verify ingredients.
What you see when an allergen is detected
During food logging: A colored warning card appears identifying the allergen, explaining the match, and giving you the choice to cancel or proceed anyway. The warning is visible and specific — it names the allergen and the food that triggered the match.
In Coach conversations: A safety note is appended to the Coach’s response, identifying which allergen was mentioned and advising you to verify any food suggestions before trying them.
Rubric never silently removes or hides information. You always see what was flagged and why.
What allergen scanning does not do
- It does not scan restaurant menus you visit in person. It scans the AI’s interpretation of what you logged or what the Coach suggested.
- It does not guarantee detection of every allergen in every form. Cross-contamination, unusual preparations, and unlisted ingredients are beyond its reach.
- It does not replace reading labels, asking servers, or carrying an EpiPen.
If you have a severe or life-threatening allergy: Rubric’s allergen detection is a supplementary safety layer. It is not a substitute for professional medical guidance, reading ingredient labels, or informing food service staff about your allergies. Always verify independently.
Related Articles
- How Rubric Keeps You Safe (Iron Dome) — the full safety system overview
- Tuning Your Profile — updating your profile settings including allergies
- The Onboarding Flow — initial allergy setup during account creation