Privacy Policy for Smart Pantry AI

Last Updated: January 27, 2026

Introduction

Smart Pantry AI ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Information We Collect

Account Information

• Email address
• Password (encrypted)
• Full name (optional)

Usage Data

• Pantry inventory items (product names, quantities, expiration dates, storage locations)
• Product image filenames (metadata only - actual photos are not stored)
• Recipes you save or generate
• User preferences and settings

Camera and Photo Library

• We access your camera to scan barcodes and product labels
• We access your photo library when you choose to upload product photos
• Important: Photos are processed temporarily to extract product information using OCR and AI, then immediately deleted. We do NOT store your photos - only the extracted text and product information is saved.

Automatically Collected Information

• Device information (OS version, app version)
• Usage analytics and error logs (via Sentry)
• API request logs for debugging and security

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain the Smart Pantry AI service
• Process and store your pantry inventory
• Generate recipe recommendations based on your inventory
• Scan and identify products from photos and barcodes
• Send notifications about expiring items
• Improve our services and user experience
• Detect and prevent fraud or security issues

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

AI Services

• OpenAI (GPT models) - For recipe generation and product identification
• Anthropic (Claude models) - Alternative AI provider for recipe generation
• Usage: Your inventory data and extracted text from photos (not the photos themselves) are sent to these services to generate recipes and analyze product information
• Privacy: These services process data according to their privacy policies

Image Processing

• Google Cloud Vision API - For optical character recognition (OCR) to extract text from product labels
• Usage: Product photos are temporarily sent to Google Vision API to extract text from labels. Photos are deleted immediately after processing.
• Privacy: Google processes images according to their privacy policy

Barcode and Product Data

• Open Food Facts API - For barcode product lookup
• UPCitemdb API - For additional barcode product lookup
• Usage: Barcode data is sent to these services to retrieve product information

Error Tracking

• Sentry - For error monitoring and crash reporting
• Usage: Error logs and diagnostic information

Shopping Integration

• Instacart - For shopping list and ingredient purchasing
• Usage: When you choose to shop for missing recipe ingredients or low-stock items, ingredient names and quantities are sent to Instacart to create a shopping list
• Privacy: Instacart processes this data according to their privacy policy
• Note: This is an optional feature that you must explicitly trigger; no data is sent to Instacart without your action

Cloud Infrastructure

• Google Cloud Platform (Cloud Run, Cloud SQL) - For hosting our backend services
• PostgreSQL - For database storage

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures including:

• Password encryption using industry-standard hashing (bcrypt)
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure token-based authentication with refresh tokens
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Regular security audits

Data Retention

• Account data is retained as long as your account is active
• You can delete individual inventory items, recipes, or your entire account at any time
• Deleted data is permanently removed from our systems

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your account and all associated data
• Export your data
• Opt-out of analytics tracking

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@smartpantryai.app

Children's Privacy

Smart Pantry AI is not intended for users under the age of 4. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 4.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date and posting the new policy in the app.

International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed and stored in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using Smart Pantry AI, you consent to the transfer of your data to these locations.

Data Sharing

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your data with advertisers
• Use your data for marketing purposes without consent

We MAY share data:

• With service providers who help us operate the app (cloud hosting, AI services)
• When required by law or to protect our legal rights
• In connection with a business transfer (merger, acquisition)

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Email: support@smartpantryai.app
Website: https://github.com/aasimsyed/pantry

Consent

By using Smart Pantry AI, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.

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Technical Details for Transparency

Data Security

• All data transmission is encrypted using industry-standard TLS protocols
• Passwords are hashed using secure cryptographic algorithms
• Database storage is encrypted at rest
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms are in place to protect your data

Permissions Explained

• Camera: Required to scan barcodes and product labels for inventory management
• Photo Library: Optional, allows you to upload existing photos of products
• Notifications: Optional, to alert you about expiring items

Data Deletion

To delete your account and all data:

1. Open the app
2. Go to Settings
3. Scroll to "Account Management"
4. Tap "Delete Account"
5. Confirm deletion

All your data will be permanently deleted within 30 days.