Privacy policy
Last updated: 15 October 2026
Before You Eat shows food hygiene ratings for places near you. It is a free hobby app made by Swisstoph Apps. In short: no accounts, no ads, no analytics and no tracking. We don't run a server that collects or stores your data. The app works in your browser or phone and fetches public information directly from the services listed below.
Your location
If you choose Use my location and allow it, your phone or browser gives the app your current position. It is used only to find the food businesses nearest to you:
- The coordinates are sent to the Food Standards Agency's ratings service (api.ratings.food.gov.uk) to fetch nearby places. The FSA handles that request under its own personal information charter.
- Your location is not stored by us, not shared with anyone else, and not used in the background. The app only asks for it when you open it or tap Use my location.
- You can say no, or switch location off at any time in your phone or browser settings. Searching by postcode or name works without it.
Searches
- When you search by postcode, the postcode is sent to postcodes.io to turn it into a map position, then that position is sent to the FSA's ratings service.
- When you search by name, the name you typed is sent to the FSA's ratings service.
- We don't keep a record of your searches anywhere except on your own device (see below).
The map
The map images come from OpenStreetMap's servers. Like any website, they receive your IP address and which part of the map is being shown. See the OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy.
Hosting
The app is hosted on GitHub Pages. GitHub may log technical details such as IP addresses for security and reliability. See the GitHub privacy statement.
What stays on your device
To work quickly and offline, the app keeps a few things in your browser's or phone's storage. They never leave your device:
- your settings (types of places to show, distance units)
- recently viewed places and your last results, so they can be shown when you have no signal
- whether you've seen the welcome page or closed the home-screen tip
You can delete them at any time by clearing the site's data in your browser settings, or the app's storage in your phone's settings. The app doesn't use cookies.
Links to other services
Links such as Open in Google Maps, View on the FSA website, council websites and Buy me a coffee (Ko-fi) open those services, which have their own privacy policies. If you leave a tip, it is handled entirely by Ko-fi and its payment providers.
Children
The app is not aimed at children and doesn't knowingly collect any personal information from anyone.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted on this page with a new date.
Contact
Questions about privacy: swisstophapps@gmail.com