Privacy Policy

Thank you for using EatForkful. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have. By using EatForkful, you agree to the practices described here.

If you have questions or concerns, contact us at privacy@eatforkful.com

1. Who We Are

EatForkful is a food and nutrition web application that helps you track meals, manage your pantry, and reach your dietary goals using AI-powered features. References to "we", "us", or "our" refer to the EatForkful service and its operators.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Account Information

Name and email address
Password (stored in hashed, non-reversible form — we never store your plain-text password)
Account preferences and settings

2.2 Nutrition & Food Data

Food logs, meal entries, and calorie/macro tracking data
Dietary goals, restrictions, and preferences you set
Body metrics you choose to enter (e.g. weight, height)
Recipe data saved or imported by you

2.3 Pantry & Receipt Data

Pantry item lists you maintain
Receipt images uploaded for AI-powered pantry parsing (see Section 4)
Parsed food items and quantities extracted from receipts

2.4 Usage & Technical Data

Pages and features accessed, and timestamps
Browser type, operating system, and device type
IP address (used for security and approximate geographic region)
Session duration and interaction patterns

2.5 Billing Data

Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. EatForkful does not store your full card number, CVV, or bank details. We receive and store only:

Billing email address
Subscription plan and status
AI feature usage metrics (for usage-based billing calculations)
Stripe customer and subscription identifiers

3. How We Use Your Data

Providing the service: To power food logging, pantry management, nutrition analysis, recipe import, and all core features.

AI features: Food data, pantry data, and receipt images may be sent to a third-party AI provider. See Section 4.

Billing: To calculate usage-based charges for AI features, process payments via Stripe, and manage your subscription.

Security: To detect and prevent unauthorized access, abuse, and fraudulent activity.

Product improvement: Aggregated, anonymized usage patterns help us improve the app. We do not use your personal food or health data for this purpose.

Communications: To send transactional emails (account verification, billing receipts, service notices). We will not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.

4. AI Features & Third-Party AI Providers

EatForkful uses AI to power receipt parsing, nutritional analysis, and recipe suggestions. To deliver these features, your data may be transmitted to a third-party AI provider.

4.1 What Data Is Shared With AI Providers

Food names, quantities, and nutritional context from your logs
Receipt images you submit for pantry parsing
Recipe URLs or text submitted for import

We do not send your name, email address, or billing information to AI providers.

4.2 Data Retention by AI Providers

Our AI provider agreements include data processing terms that restrict how your data may be used. We will update this section to name our specific AI provider(s) once finalized. Contact privacy@forkful.app for current details.

4.3 AI Outputs Are Not Medical Advice

Nutritional information and suggestions generated by EatForkful's AI features are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical, dietary, or clinical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional for medical or dietary decisions.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your data with advertisers. We do not use your food, health, or pantry data for behavioral profiling or targeted advertising.

Service providers: Stripe, our hosting provider, and AI providers — all bound by data processing agreements that restrict their use of your data.

Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or to protect rights, property, or safety.

Business transfers: In a merger or acquisition, your data may transfer to the acquiring entity. We will notify you beforehand.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account:

Food logs, pantry data, and body metrics are deleted within 30 days.
Receipt images are deleted within 7 days of upload (whether or not parsing was successful).
Billing records are retained for 7 years as required by financial regulations.
Anonymized, aggregated usage statistics (which cannot identify you) may be retained indefinitely.

7. Your Rights

7.1 Rights for All Users

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information.
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
Export: Download your food logs and pantry data in CSV or JSON format.

7.2 Additional Rights for EU/EEA Users (GDPR)

Right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (DPA).

Our legal bases for processing: (a) performance of a contract; (b) legitimate interests (security, fraud prevention, product improvement); and (c) your consent where applicable.

7.3 Additional Rights for California Users (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, to delete it, to opt out of its sale (we do not sell personal information), and to non-discrimination for exercising these rights.

7.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

Email privacy@eatforkful.com We will respond within 30 days and may verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

8. Security

Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) for all data between your browser and our servers
Encryption at rest for stored personal data
Access controls limiting which team members can access user data
Regular security reviews of infrastructure and third-party integrations

No system is perfectly secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at privacy@eatforkful.com

9. Children's Privacy

EatForkful is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EU/EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. International Data Transfers

EatForkful operates globally. If you are located outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where required under GDPR.

11. Cookies & Tracking

Session cookies (keeping you logged in)
Security cookies (CSRF protection)
Basic analytics cookies (anonymized page views and feature usage)

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels. You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling session cookies will prevent you from logging in.

12. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes, we will notify you by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The "Effective Date" at the top reflects the most recent update. Continued use of EatForkful after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

Email: privacy@forkful.app

Response time: We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days.