Does What I Eat diagnose health conditions?

No. What I Eat provides informational ingredient insights and explanations. It does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition.

Can I use it for allergies or sensitivities?

You can set preferences (such as allergens or dietary choices) to highlight ingredients that may matter to you. Always check the product label and follow professional guidance if needed.

Take a photo of the ingredient list. The app extracts the text and returns a neutral explanation of ingredients, tailored to your preferences.

Do you store my photos or scans?

Photos are used to extract ingredient text. The extracted text is sent to an AI service to generate ingredient insights. We cache only the AI response to improve performance. Scan data is stored locally on your device and may be included in your iCloud Backup, depending on your iOS settings.

You can start with a limited number of free scans. Additional scans and advanced features may require a subscription.

Which iOS devices are supported?

What I Eat works on iPhone and iPad running a recent iOS version. Check the App Store listing for the latest requirements.

← Back to Library

Sodium Hydroxide (Lye / E524)

Acidity Regulator

Generally Safe

A highly corrosive chemical used to give pretzels their famous brown shiny crust. Safe once baked.

Details

Also known as lye. While eating it raw would literally dissolve your throat, it reacts in the oven heat to form a harmless salt crust, creating the magical German pretzel flavor.

✓ Vegan Diet ✓ Keto Diet ✓ Halal Diet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is eating lye safe!?

Yes, the baking process neutralizes it entirely. None of the corrosive properties remain in the final food.

Want to scan ingredients?

Start scanning ingredients today

Download What I Eat and understand what’s inside your food — with ingredient insights tailored to your preferences. Start with 3 free scans.

Download on the App Store