Support
Common questions, and how to reach a person
Fastest way to get help
Use Send feedback in Settings. It attaches your browser, app version and last scan automatically, so a bug can be reproduced without a back-and-forth. Or email support@mezmalz.com.
Questions
It says “no known recall” — is my food safe?
No — and this is the most important thing to understand. It means nothing in our index matched that barcode. Recalls are announced with delays, and many never publish a barcode at all. Always read your packaging and follow official FDA and USDA notices.
Why did my product come back unrecognized?
We look product names up in two public databases, and neither is complete for US groceries. If the name is missing, the recall check still ran on the barcode itself — an unknown name is not a failed scan.
Scanning produce does nothing.
Loose produce usually has no barcode, only a small PLU sticker, so there is nothing to scan. Use Search and type the brand or the food — that is what it is there for.
Meat and poultry never show up when I scan.
USDA recall notices almost never publish a barcode — they identify products by description and sell-by date instead. Those recalls are in the app, but you reach them through Search, the Recalls tab, or alerts rather than the camera.
What do the flags mean?
Red means recalled. Yellow means your barcode is in a recall but only certain lot codes are affected — check the code on your package. Orange means the same brand has a recall on a different product. Green means nothing matched.
Notifications aren’t working on my iPhone.
iOS only allows notifications once an app is on your Home Screen. Open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. Open it from that icon and enable alerts in Settings.
The camera won’t start.
Check that your browser has camera permission for this site, and that nothing else is using the camera. You can always tap Type the barcode instead and enter the digits under the bars.
The store list looks wrong.
It shows results for the ZIP or location you last set — traveling doesn’t update it automatically. Tap Change on the Store tab to update it.
Where does the data come from?
FDA enforcement reports, FDA recall announcements, and USDA FSIS recalls, refreshed daily. Food Flagger is independent and not affiliated with the FDA, USDA, or any retailer.
Known limits
We would rather tell you these up front than have you discover them:
- USDA meat and poultry recalls rarely carry a barcode, so scanning won’t catch them.
- Product names come from public databases with patchy US coverage.
- Store lists cover major chains; independent shops usually aren’t matched.
- Recall data lags the real world — a product can be recalled before it appears here.
- US recalls only.
Food Flagger is made by Mezmalz Media LLC.