Have you heard of Dinesafe yet?

Today I want to share some information on an app that I’m super stoked about – DineSafe.

I get nervous when trying out new restaurants sometimes because many places offer ‘gluten-free’ items but mostly cater to those who follow the fad version of the diet – not those like me who really need to avoid forms of gluten.

When I heard about this free app, I got way too excited.

It uses the location on your phone to find the nearest restaurants near you that have uploaded menus. It then automatically puts together menus based on your allergies or diets you may be following (Paleo, Vegan, Halal, etc).

The nice thing, too, is that the allergens included are more than just the top eight most commonly included in apps. This is great for those of us with multiple food allergies as well, as many apps out there may only cover a handful of what is listed here.

A great thing to think about is that European countries have already required that restaurants have a list of allergens utilized within the restaurant and in all meals. The allergens listed on DineSafe follow those same allergens. If restaurants get on board with this idea now, they’ll be ready for when it hits the United States.

Those of us with food allergies have all been to restaurants that do have allergen-free meals but get grumpy about actually taking the measures to keep us safe. I have certainly encountered this with my medical need to be gluten free. Customers can endorse restaurants that do amazing jobs thanks to a new update, allowing customers to see more information on how a restaurant handles those with food allergies instead of just that certain meals are devoid of allergens.

Since the restaurants put in their menus, this allows for more accuracy as to what is currently on the menu than some of the websites out there. I know that I have been to restaurants where I just know what I can eat thanks to researching beforehand, but then the items I thought they had were taken off the menu years ago and I wind up eating chips and dip.

DineSafe can eliminate that for me and for others.

You can even create petitions on the app to have your favorite spots join! Since it’s not super widespread right now, I’m really excited about this feature in particular. If DineSafe isn’t really around in your area, this can be a great way to get it started! I plan on fowarding information about this app to the allergen groups in my area and recommending that my favorite restaurants check it out.

I’ve lived here for six years so I tend to know what I can and cannot eat. However, this could be a great tool for restaurants around the university I work at to utilize in order to bring in more traffic and show how willing they are to cater to food allergies and dietary restrictions.

DineSafe also recommends allergen-friendly training for restaurants a small fee as well, helping them to avoid training that isn’t up to par.

You can check out DineSafe on Facebook (where the above photos are from) and Twitter OR download the app via the Apple Store or Google Play.