Privacy & Safety Statement

Last updated: June 25, 2026

1. Privacy Policy

1.1 Data We Collect

Profile data: Name, age, health conditions, allergies, food preferences — provided voluntarily when creating a care recipient profile.
Meal plan data: Generated meal plans, shopping lists, and safety reviews — computed locally or on our servers based on your profile.
AI conversation data: Questions and messages you send to the AI Assistant.
Account data: Email address and hashed password when you register an account.
Usage data: Anonymous page views and feature usage for service improvement.

1.2 Data We Do NOT Collect

Full legal names (display names are optional and may be pseudonyms)
Social Security numbers, driver's license, or government IDs
Financial information, credit card numbers, or billing details
Precise location data (GPS)
Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA — NutriHearth is a nutrition support tool, not a HIPAA-covered entity. We collect health conditions, medication names, allergies, and nutrition preferences that users voluntarily enter; we do not obtain medical records, laboratory results, prescription records, or treatment records directly from healthcare providers or EHR systems. Health details you voluntarily provide (conditions, allergies, medications, preferences — see 1.1) are sensitive and are used only to personalize meal plans; because NutriHearth is not a covered entity, information submitted to the service may not receive the protections applicable to PHI held by a healthcare provider.

1.3 How We Use Your Data

Generate personalized meal plans based on health conditions and preferences
Perform safety checks for food allergies, drug-food interactions, and dietary restrictions
Monitor service performance and safety; data is not used for AI model training
Improve nutritional recommendation accuracy through aggregate pattern analysis
Send service-related notifications (if opted in)

1.4 Data Storage & Security

Profile and account data are stored in an encrypted SQLite database
Passwords are hashed with Argon2id (a memory-hard password-hashing function) — no plaintext storage
AI conversations are not permanently stored on our servers
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties
No advertising or tracking cookies are used

1.5 Your Rights

Access: View all your stored profile data at any time
Export: Download your meal plans, profiles, and data as JSON/TXT files
Delete: Remove your account and all associated data upon request
Opt-out: Use NutriHearth without registration (guest mode)

2. Safety Framework

⚠️ Important: NutriHearth is a nutrition support tool. It does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes.

2.1 AI Safety Boundaries

The NutriHearth AI Assistant is restricted by a safety sandbox. It can ONLY discuss:

Nutrition science and dietary guidelines
Disease-specific dietary recommendations (ADA, AHA, NIH, ESPEN)
Drug-food interaction awareness (e.g., grapefruit + statins)
Meal planning and recipe guidance
Food safety and preparation techniques
Public health and wellness information

The AI will refuse to answer questions about: medical diagnosis, drug dosage, treatment plans, surgical advice, or any topic outside nutrition and caregiving.

2.2 Meal Plan Safety Checks

Every generated meal plan is automatically screened for selected risks:

Automated screening, not a safety guarantee. These checks cover a defined set of rules. They are not a comprehensive clinical review and may not detect every risk. The absence of a warning does not mean a food, medication, or meal plan is safe for a particular person.

Check	Description	Severity
Allergen screening	Blocks and removes recipes containing user-specified allergens (shellfish, nuts, dairy, etc.)	Critical
Drug-food interaction	Cross-references medication list against ingredients (warfarin→vitamin K, statins→grapefruit)	Critical
Sodium limit	Ensures daily sodium ≤ clinical guideline (e.g., <1500mg for hypertension)	High
Sugar/carb limit	Checks carbohydrate load against diabetes guidelines	High
Texture safety	Verifies food texture matches dysphagia/swallowing needs (Normal/Soft/Minced/Puree)	High
Protein adequacy	Checks daily protein ≥ clinical target (e.g., 1.2-1.5g/kg for sarcopenia)	Medium
Micronutrient balance	Verifies calcium, vitamin D, B12, omega-3 meet evidence-based targets	Medium

2.3 Clinical Evidence Base

NutriHearth's nutrition rules are sourced from:

American Diabetes Association (ADA) — Standards of Care
American Heart Association (AHA) — DASH Diet Guidelines
National Institutes of Health (NIH) — Dietary Reference Intakes
European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN)
Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI)
MIND Diet research (Morris et al., 2015, Alzheimer's & Dementia)
88 PubMed-indexed peer-reviewed references for 22 disease conditions

2.4 Known Limitations

Nutrient calculations are estimates based on standardized food composition data (USDA FoodData Central)
Actual nutrient content varies by ingredient source, cooking method, and portion size
Drug–food interaction screening is informational, not clinical — always verify with your pharmacist (see the full disclaimer in section 2.5)
AI-generated guidance is based on published literature through June 2026
NutriHearth does not access electronic health records (EHR) or pharmacy data

2.5 Drug–Food Interaction Safety Disclaimer

For informational and meal-planning purposes only. Not medical advice.

NutriHearth provides automated drug–food interaction alerts to help caregivers identify potential food-related precautions when planning meals for older adults.

Important limitations:

Not comprehensive: Our interaction database and automated screening may not identify every potential interaction, contraindication, or medication-related risk.
No alert does not mean safe: The absence of an alert does not establish that a food, supplement, medication, or meal plan is safe for a particular individual.
Information accuracy: Results depend on the medications and other information provided by the user. Missing, incorrect, or outdated information can affect the alerts.
Individual differences: Interaction risks and recommended precautions may depend on the specific medication, formulation, dose, timing, medical conditions, and other factors.
Professional verification: Consult the prescribing healthcare professional or pharmacist before making medication-related dietary changes, especially when taking multiple medications or managing serious medical conditions.
Do not change medications: Never stop, start, skip, or adjust a prescribed medication or its dosage solely because of information provided by NutriHearth.

NutriHearth is not a substitute for professional medication review, medical diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care. If a serious medication reaction is suspected, seek immediate medical assistance.

Drug-label information and other referenced sources do not imply FDA approval, endorsement, or certification of NutriHearth or its interaction-screening functionality.

Screening result categories. When a medication is checked, NutriHearth distinguishes between: (a) no interaction identified among the rules that were checked; (b) medication not covered by our database; (c) insufficient information to screen; and (d) screening unavailable. None of these outcomes means the combination is safe.

Data sources and scope. NutriHearth uses drug–food interaction information derived from publicly available drug labeling and other referenced sources. The availability of drug-label information does not mean that NutriHearth or its screening functionality has been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Coverage of a drug in our database does not mean that all of that drug's food interactions have been verified.

3. Contact & Feedback

For privacy concerns, data deletion requests, safety questions, or feedback:

📧 Email: support@nutrihearth.com

💬 Use the in-app AI Assistant and mention "privacy" or "safety"

We respond within 2 business days.

4. Regulatory Compliance

Section 508 / WCAG 2.1 AA: We strive to meet accessibility standards for users with disabilities. Please report accessibility issues.
GDPR: EU users may request data export or deletion under GDPR Article 17.
CCPA: California residents may opt out of data sharing under CCPA (though NutriHearth does not sell data).
HIPAA: NutriHearth is not a HIPAA-covered entity or business associate. NutriHearth collects health-related information that users voluntarily provide; because NutriHearth is not a covered entity, this information may not receive the protections applicable to PHI held by a healthcare provider.

NutriHearth — Nutrition support for family caregivers. Because those who once held our hand — now deserve ours.