You choose the allergens to profile
During onboarding and in settings, you can select milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, and sesame. Selecting none is an explicit choice, not an assumption.
Safety first
Allergen awareness is part of the foundation.
SousMate uses layered checks to reduce unsuitable recommendations, explain ingredient risks, and make substitution help accessible. Those layers support your decisions, but they do not replace labels, medical advice, or careful kitchen practice.
The protection model
Multiple checks, used at different moments.
No single data field is expected to carry the entire safety job. SousMate checks the user profile, recipe record, normalized ingredient map, and active cooking context.
Recipes carry declared allergen categories
Every recipe record includes a structured allergen list. User-facing recommendation and search paths compare that list with the profile before returning a recipe.
Ingredients receive a second lookup
Normalized base ingredients are cross-referenced against a maintained allergen map. This helps catch known associations at the ingredient level, including compound items that can carry more than one category.
Unsafe matches are excluded before ranking
The meal planner, re-rolls, recipe search, craving quiz, and Quick Pick use eligibility checks before pantry or preference scoring. A better match percentage cannot override an allergen conflict.
The recipe view keeps the warning visible
When a recipe ingredient maps to one of your profiled allergens, the detail view can flag it and offer a direct path to ask for a safer substitution.
Nine profile categories
A consistent allergen vocabulary.
SousMate stores allergen values in a fixed set so the mobile app, recipe validation, database rules, and recommendation engine compare the same terms.
Profile group 01
Milk, eggs, fishThree distinct categories, including fish separately from shellfish.Profile group 02
Shellfish, nuts, peanutsTree nuts and peanuts remain separate profile choices.Profile group 03
Soy, wheat, sesameStored internally as soybeans, wheat, and sesame.Recipe quality
Recipes pass a gate before they reach the app.
SousMate maintains its own recipe repository. Recipes are produced and checked offline rather than fetched live from the open web during a meal decision.
Structured validation
The record must fit the schema.
- Recognized meal type and allergen values
- Structured ingredients with optional status
- Prep and cook times
- Ordered cooking steps
- Approximate nutrition fields
Content validation
The recipe is checked for internal consistency.
- Ingredient and instruction alignment
- Reasonable time and technique
- Dietary label consistency
- Declared and hidden allergen review
- Only recipes marked ready enter user-facing queries
Substitution support
Safety help stays outside the paywall.
A user should not have to choose between an AI quota and asking about a flagged ingredient.
How it starts
From the ingredient warning
Tapping a flagged ingredient prepares a recipe-specific question. The assistant receives the active recipe, the ingredient, pantry context, dietary restrictions, and profiled allergens.
How it is counted
Separate from normal messages
The allergen-substitution path is available on Free, Plus, and Pro and does not count toward standard Sous Chef message or recipe-swap limits.
What happens next
You still verify the substitute.
A suggested replacement may change texture, technique, nutrition, or exposure risk. Confirm every replacement product's label, suitability, preparation method, and cross-contact information before using it.
Known limits
What SousMate cannot verify for you.
Clear boundaries are a safety feature too.
Verify outside the app
Packaging and reformulation
Brands can change ingredients, facilities, and advisory statements without updating a recipe app.
Verify outside the app
Cross-contact
SousMate cannot observe shared fryers, cutting boards, utensils, storage bins, factories, or restaurant kitchens.
Verify outside the app
Household quantities
A pantry match confirms recorded availability, not that enough remains or that the item is fresh and safe.
Verify outside the app
Medical suitability
The app does not diagnose allergies, interpret test results, or provide an emergency action plan.
Verify outside the app
Cooking temperatures
Recipe steps are not a replacement for a thermometer, local food-safety guidance, or safe storage practices.
Verify outside the app
AI certainty
Sous Chef can make mistakes. Treat substitutions and technique suggestions as guidance to verify, especially when safety is involved.
Your safety check
Use the app as one layer in a careful routine.
Keep your profile current
Update allergies, dietary needs, and disliked ingredients whenever your needs change.
Read the complete recipe
Review ingredients, measurements, substitutions, and every instruction before beginning.
Check every package
Use the current label and manufacturer guidance for the exact product in your kitchen.
Control cross-contact
Clean surfaces and tools, separate ingredients, and follow the precautions appropriate for your household.
Use professional guidance
Follow advice from your clinician or allergist and use emergency medication as directed.
Safety questions
The direct answers.
Question
Does SousMate guarantee that a meal is allergen-free?
No. SousMate provides filtering and warnings as a guide. Users must verify full ingredient lists, product labels, preparation surfaces, and cross-contact risks before cooking or eating.
Question
Is allergen support included on every plan?
Yes. Profile-based filtering, ingredient warnings, and the allergen-substitution path are available on Free, Plus, and Pro. Safety substitution requests do not use the normal Sous Chef message quota.
Question
Can SousMate account for a specific packaged brand?
Not reliably. Formulas and facilities vary by product and can change. The package label and manufacturer are the source of truth for a packaged ingredient.
Coming soon on the App Store