Minthee
Jump to another guide topic▼
Topic 10•Shopping•4 min read

Barcode Scanner & Nutrition Catalog

Scan packaged food barcodes with your camera, pull instant nutritional data via Open Food Facts, and manage your local grocery catalog.

Minthee includes an integrated, privacy-respecting Barcode Scanner that connects your grocery shopping and pantry items with open nutritional data from Open Food Facts.

Whether checking ingredient macros at the supermarket or logging pantry staples, you can scan and inspect foods in seconds without creating an account or handing over personal telemetry.

1. Opening the Barcode Scanner

You can access barcode scanning from two central places in the app:

  1. Grocery List Toolbar: Tap the camera barcode icon located in the top actions bar.
  2. Settings Screen: Under the Your Data & Storage section, tap Scanned products to open your persistent historical catalog and initiate new scans.

When the scanner opens, point your phone’s camera at any standard retail barcode (including EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, and UPC-E). The scanner recognizes codes instantly with real-time bounding overlays and haptic feedback.

2. Instant Nutrition & Nutri-Score Breakdown

Once scanned, Minthee queries Open Food Facts using an encrypted, SSL-pinned connection and displays a comprehensive product breakdown:

  • Product Identity: Brand name, product title, quantity, and packaging details.
  • Nutri-Score Grade: Official European Nutri-Score rating from A (highest nutritional quality) to E (lowest), rendered with official color standards.
  • Energy & Calories: View energy values in both kcal and kJ.
  • Macronutrients: Detailed gram measurements and percentage contribution for:
    • Carbohydrates & Sugars
    • Proteins
    • Total Fats & Saturated Fats
    • Dietary Fiber & Sodium / Salt
  • Ingredients & Allergens: Full manufacturer ingredient declaration and identified allergen warnings.

3. Portion Sizing: Per 100g vs. Per Serving

Packaged nutrition labels can be confusing when comparing bulk items against realistic portions. Minthee solves this with dynamic portion toggling:

  • Per 100g / 100ml: Standardized baseline comparison to evaluate nutritional density between competing brands.
  • Per Serving: Adjusted calculation based on the manufacturer’s declared serving size (e.g. 30g serving or 250ml glass).
  • Custom Servings Multiplier: Adjust portion counts directly in the dialog to see exact calories and macros for 1, 2, or more servings.

4. Adding Scanned Items to Your Grocery List

From the product dialog, you can immediately send the item to your shopping list:

  • Tap Add to Grocery List.
  • Choose whether to add the product name with its package weight or custom notes.
  • The item is instantly appended to your active grocery checklist with its nutritional badge intact.

5. The Scanned Products Catalog

Every item you scan is stored in your private local SQLite database:

  • Open Settings > Scanned products (or tap the catalog tab in the grocery scanner).
  • Browse your full history of scanned grocery products offline: no internet required once cached.
  • Filter by category or search by product name.
  • View previous nutrition breakdowns, re-add items to grocery lists with one tap, or delete individual cached items to keep your catalog tidy.