Web-based search tool filtering recipes online based on 14 allergen groups.
INTRODUCTION:
Food allergies are becoming an increasing problem, especially in developed countries such as Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, where one in three children has some kind of allergic disorder, particularly asthma, eczema, or a food allergy. The rising prevalence of food allergies and their impact on millions of individuals around the world has been considered a significant burden to global public health (Miller, 2025). This problem has created a growing demand for tools to assist with careful monitoring of food intake and for safe ways to search for recipes that meet the needs of various dietary restrictions. While there are numerous online food platforms offering countless recipes, they often have limited filtering options, and their allergen information can be inconsistent or even non-existent. Additionally, the difficulties in filtering through the vast amounts of search results and the clutter of unwanted results or adverts, for example, add another layer of anxiety.
This project aims to address this gap by developing a web-based search tool that can collect recipes from publicly available online sources and filter them according to the fourteen allergen groups defined by UK and EU legislation.
Aim of the Study:
The primary aim of this research is to design, develop, launch, test, and evaluate a web-based search tool capable of analysing and filtering online recipes according to the fourteen legally recognised allergen groups. By employing an automated system based on ethical web scraping techniques, the proposed tool will enable users to effortlessly locate recipes that align with their dietary restrictions. The final design will focus on being user-friendly, intuitive, and visually clear, ensuring an accessible experience, free from unnecessary distractions or interface clutter.
Research question: “How can the ethical implementation of web scraping techniques within faceted search systems enhance user experience while ensuring data privacy and compliance with digital ethics standards?”
Objectives and Methodology:
To achieve the above aim and answer the research questions, the following objectives and methodological stages will be employed in the form of a mixed-methods study combining a prototype implementation and user evaluation:
- Literature review,
- System Design and Architecture,
- Data collecting and Web Scraping from ethical sources.
- Data pre-processing and cleaning such as tokenisation, normalisation and ingredient mapping.
- Allergen detection – developing classification and filtering component usin keyword matching and text analysis techniques.
- Database development – creating a structured database using PostgreSQL.
- Web Application development,
- Testing and evaluating,
- Ethical, Legal and Technical considerations.
Reference:
Kowalska, A. (2025) Research Project Proposal: Assignment 2. Prom04: Research Project Proposal. University of Sunderland. Unpublished assignment.
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