OPEN FOOD FACTS
The app that leverages Open Food Facts
to save you money.
Vutro relies on the world's largest open-source food database to analyze your products and find cheaper alternatives with a better Nutri-Score.
← Back to homeWhat is Open Food Facts?
Open Food Facts is a free and collaborative food database maintained by volunteers in over 170 countries. It lists more than 3 million food products with their ingredients, nutritional values, additives, allergens and Nutri-Score. Data is available under the ODbL 1.0 licence.
Real-time product data
Every time you scan a barcode, Vutro queries the Open Food Facts API in real time to retrieve the most up-to-date nutritional information, ingredients, allergens, additives, and Nutri-Score. The database is continuously improved by a global contributor community.
Because the data is queried live rather than bundled once inside the app, product information stays current as Open Food Facts contributors correct errors or add missing details — you don't need to update the app to benefit from a more accurate database.
Store-brand matching
Vutro cross-references scanned products with store-brand equivalents available in major French supermarkets. Only alternatives with an equal or better Nutri-Score are suggested — the health criterion is non-negotiable. You see the exact amount you would save by switching.
Why Open Food Facts is more reliable than proprietary databases
Unlike proprietary databases, Open Food Facts is verified by a worldwide community. Data is transparent, accessible and correctable by anyone. This ensures broader coverage and faster updates for new products.
This openness has a trade-off: data depends on user contributions, and some recent or lesser-known products can be incomplete or missing. That's precisely the gap Vutro fills with a layer the open database doesn't provide itself: price comparison between the scanned product and its store-brand equivalents, calculated automatically every time you look for an alternative.
Data may nevertheless be incomplete or temporarily inaccurate. Always check the physical label, especially for allergens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Food Facts reliable?
Open Food Facts is the world's largest open-source food database, verified by a contributor community. Reliability is generally good but not guaranteed — always check the physical label for allergies.
Does Vutro modify Open Food Facts data?
No. Vutro displays data exactly as provided by the Open Food Facts API, without altering nutritional values, ingredient lists, or scores. You can report incorrect data from within the app (Settings → Report an issue) to improve the shared database for everyone.
Can I use Vutro if a product isn't in Open Food Facts?
If a product isn't listed in Open Food Facts, Vutro shows a "Product not found" screen with the option to search by name or contribute on openfoodfacts.org.
What does Vutro add compared to the official Open Food Facts app?
The official Open Food Facts app focuses on displaying data and community contribution. Vutro uses the same data to also actively search for a cheaper store-brand alternative on every scan, with an equal or better Nutri-Score — a feature neither Open Food Facts nor most food barcode scanners offer.