Jenks Mother Creates Food Allergy App

When a Jenks mother couldn't find a customizable food allergy app to help with grocery shopping for her son, she created one of her own.

The app Billye Kraus created is called My Food Detective.

“It takes the detective work out of food allergies,” said Kraus.

She came up with the idea after learning her son Corbin has a food allergy.

“He's allergic to yeast and wheat, but yeast is the more difficult one to find,” she added.

In the beginning, Kraus says grocery shopping took hours longer than it should have because she had to check every ingredient on every food label.

“It's a really difficult food allergy,” she stated.

She said she found some food allergy apps but none that she could customize to fit Corbin's specific allergies.

So, she came up with her own that can be programmed to find any ingredient for any food allergy. With the app, you just have to scan the food label with your phone.

“Sorry, you can't have it because it has yeast and autolyzed yeast in it,” the app read after Kraus scanned a box of Goldfish.

Kraus said she's certain her app will help so many others living with food allergies, which is why it doesn't cost anything to download.

“I wanted anybody that wanted to be able to use it or that needed it to be able to download it for free,” she said.

My Food Detective also has a parent lock so kids can keep the app on their phone and won't have to depend on someone else to read the labels.

Although when it comes to some of Corbin's favorite foods, he already knows they're safe.

“I just come home and eat oranges and cheese sticks my whole life,” he laughed.

My Food Detective will be available in the app store next week, which also happens to be food allergy awareness week.