Our Story

Growing up with food allergies is not easy. From constantly reading ingredient labels on packaged foods to being nervous to try a new place, food allergies seem to be what your life revolves around… or at least that was the case for my brother.

As a child, my brother was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy. He was anaphylactic and this made growing up and eating out extremely challenging. When it came to dining in our hometown, we would always call ahead and speak to a manager about options that would be available to him (if any). Sometimes, who we spoke to over the phone had wrong information. This would lead to us having to stand up and leave after having sat down and already having ordered drinks. Luckily, we didn’t have an accident because we always would double check once we were seated. Food allergies have been an issue since the beginning.

Vacationing with food allergies and intolerances is a big task that without being in the food allergy world, most people wouldn’t even think twice about. We used to drive with a cooler in the back of the car that held snacks/food for the long drive and the week ahead. Never experiencing new places when we traveled was just how it went.

Fast forward to my brother’s life post college graduation and he moved to Houston, Texas. Here he was in this new area with limited knowledge of where he could go to eat. It was like starting the whole process over again.

That’s when it hit me.

There has to be a better way for individuals with food allergies (vegan, vegetarian, gluten included) to find new places to eat. One where they could search for options around them and when they’re on the go as well.

This need for a service gave way to the creation of Ingredient ID. Ingredient ID is not intended to tell you what dishes you can specifically eat at a restaurant. It’s meant to be a way for people to get their foot in the door of new locations. A way to find new experiences and foods. A way to know that at the minimum, there are options available to you to eat at a certain restaurant.