01
WHAT IS SPARSE
Sparse is a meal planning app that looks at what's in your fridge and decides what you should cook for dinner. That's it.
02
WHAT WE COLLECT
- Your email address and name when you create an account (including via Sign in with Apple)
- Ingredients you add — manually, by photo, by barcode scan, or by scanning a grocery receipt
- Barcode product information (brand, name, per-100g nutrition) retrieved from Open Food Facts when you scan a barcode
- Meal suggestions Sparse made and whether you cooked them
- Your preferences — dietary goals, restrictions, cooking skill, and serving size
- Notification permission status, so we can send you optional reminders before ingredients expire
- How you use the app — which features you tap, how often you open it
02b
APPLE HEALTH
If you grant permission, Sparse integrates with Apple Health (HealthKit) to:
- Read your recent dietary entries (calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber from the past 7 days) so we can show you a weekly macro summary inside the app
- Write the macros of meals you mark as cooked (calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber) back to Apple Health, so your nutrition log stays in one place
Apple Health data is processed on your device and is never transmitted to Sparse's servers, never stored by us, and never shared with any third party. You can revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → Sparse.
03
WHAT WE DON'T COLLECT
- We do not collect your location
- We do not access your contacts or photo library beyond what you explicitly share
- We do not share personally identifiable information — your name, email, or account details — with third parties without your explicit consent
04
HOW WE USE YOUR DATA
- To generate personalized meal suggestions based on your fridge and preferences
- To compute accurate per-serving macros for the meals we suggest, by combining barcode label data, the USDA FoodData Central database, and AI
- To remember your ingredients and meal history between sessions
- To send you optional local notifications when ingredients are about to expire
- To improve the app and understand how features are being used
- To process payments if you upgrade to Sparse Premium
05
THIRD PARTIES WE USE
We work with a small number of services to run Sparse. Each processes data only as needed to operate the app.
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database and authentication | supabase.com/privacy |
| Anthropic | AI processing of fridge contents, ingredient photos, and receipt photos to generate meal suggestions. Anthropic does not train on your data. | anthropic.com/privacy |
| Open Food Facts | Looks up product name, brand, and nutrition data when you scan a barcode. Only the barcode number is sent. | openfoodfacts.org |
| USDA FoodData Central | Public U.S. government nutrition database queried by our backend to calculate accurate per-serving macros. Only generic ingredient names are sent. | fdc.nal.usda.gov |
| Stripe | Payment processing | stripe.com/privacy |
| Vercel | App infrastructure | vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy |
| Apple HealthKit | On-device framework. With your permission, Sparse reads recent nutrition data and writes the macros of cooked meals. Data never leaves your device. | apple.com/legal/privacy |
06
DATA RETENTION
Your data is stored as long as your account is active. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from inside the app (Profile → Delete Account), or by contacting us at the email below. Account deletion is permanent and removes your fridge, meal history, preferences, and authentication data within 30 days.
07
YOUR RIGHTS
You have the right to:
- Access the data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your account and all associated data
- Export your data
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the email below.
08
CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
Sparse is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
09
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS
If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of its sale. We do not sell personal information.
10
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes via the app or by email. Continued use of Sparse after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.