How to submit photos for a product verification request

In order to be able to verify a retail product that is not in the app database, we need to see photos of the following information:

1. The full name and size of the product

2. The UPC (barcode) of the product

3. The full ingredients list of the product, including any allergen declarations

On most products, this will mean taking three photos of the product to submit. The layout of some products may allow for only one or two photos needing to be taken, as long as all of the information we require is present and clear in the photos*.

* Please note that we are not able to verify products using website photos, even if the website photos show the information we require. The reason is that website photos, even those on the manufacturers website may not be accurate compared to what is on the actual packaging in store. Ingredients change and website photos are not always kept as up to date as the actual product packaging in store.

Example images that are acceptable.

The above image shows the typical three photos required.

In the above example, you can see that four images are required as the ingredients wrap around the container and it is not possible to capture all ingredients in the one photo.

In this example, only two photos are required as the barcode and ingredients are clearly visible in the one photo.

Example images that are not acceptable.

In this example, the photo is a screenshot from the Woolworths website. As stated above, we are not able to verify products using website photos as the information in the image may not be what is on the actual packaging in store.

Why do we need the above information?

- There is no master database of barcodes and product information that we can simply refer to. We have to manually source this information to add to our database. 

- The same product can be made in different countries using different ingredients and or manufacturing processes. The UPC (barcode) number on the product helps us to ensure that we are verifying the right product that you requested to be verified.

- The only legally required ingredients list is the one on the actual packaging. We often come across ingredients lists on supermarket and even manufacturer websites that differ from what is on the actual packaging. 

Why is the barcode I scanned not already in the database?

- We regularly scan barcodes in Aldi, Coles and Woolworths looking for products that are not in the app database. As we have a small team of staff, it is highly likely that one of our 100,000+ app users will come across a product not in the database before we do. We currently have over 102,000 products in the database and more are added from both Fussy Vegan staff and app user requests regularly.

How do I take and attach the photos to a support ticket?

1. Use either the dedicated camera button located on the scan page of the app, or use your preferred camera app on your device to take the required photos. Please note that the dedicated camera button in the app will save your photos to your default image library on your device.

2. When lodging a support ticket (or live chat session for those app users with a VIP Access subscription), simply attached the images to the support ticket from your camera roll.

3. iOS users can also capture the images directly from the support ticket (or live chat) page. When you tap on the attachment button, it will give you the option to upload an existing image or to take a photo.

   iOS version showing options when you tap the "Attachment" button.

VIP Access live chat showing options when you tap the "Attachment" button.