By accessing and using Mealio ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use the Service.

Mealio uses artificial intelligence (OpenAI GPT-4o-mini with built-in web search capability) to generate recipes. You acknowledge and agree that:

• •All recipes are AI-generated and are clearly marked as such. The AI uses web search to find recipes from trusted sources (such as AllRecipes, Food Network, BBC Good Food, and other reputable recipe websites) and generates recipes based on those sources
• •Recipe generation process: When sources are found, the AI uses exact ingredients (with unit conversion to match your preferences) and exact instruction structure from source recipes, but rewrites the instruction text in natural language. When no sources are found, the AI creates original recipes based on standard culinary practices
• •Recipe accuracy, ingredient amounts, cooking times, and instructions are not guaranteed and should be verified before use. While the AI attempts to use accurate information from trusted sources, errors may occur during the generation or unit conversion process
• •Your inputs are not used for AI training. We do not use your recipe requests or generated recipes to train AI models. Your inputs are only used for the immediate generation request
• •Generated recipes may be marked with machine-readable indicators to identify them as AI-generated content, in compliance with applicable regulations

You acknowledge that:

• •You must verify all cooking temperatures, times, and food safety guidelines before preparing any recipe
• •You are responsible for checking ingredient freshness, proper storage, and safe handling practices
• •You should be aware of food allergies and dietary restrictions before using any recipe
• •Internal cooking temperatures for meat, poultry, and seafood must be verified with a food thermometer
• •Recipes may not account for your specific dietary needs, allergies, or health conditions

We strongly recommend consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for dietary advice, especially if you have food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions.

Service Provided "As Is": The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mealio and its operators:

• •Shall not be liable for any illness, injury, health issues, or death resulting from the use of generated recipes
• •Are not responsible for food poisoning, allergic reactions, contamination, or any adverse effects from following recipes
• •Do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, safety, or originality of any recipe or AI-generated content
• •Are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages arising from recipe use, including but not limited to property damage, lost profits, or business interruption
• •Do not provide medical, nutritional, dietary, or professional culinary advice. The Service is not a substitute for professional guidance
• •Are not responsible for any third-party claims, including intellectual property infringement claims, arising from your use of generated recipes. This includes but is not limited to copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other IP claims from recipe source websites, cookbook publishers, or recipe creators

Our total liability, if any, is limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

You agree that you are solely responsible for:

• •Verifying all recipe information before use
• •Following proper food safety practices
• •Checking ingredient compatibility with your dietary needs and allergies
• •Using appropriate cooking equipment and following safety guidelines
• •Exercising judgment and common sense when preparing recipes
• •Supervising children or others who may use recipes from the Service

We strive to provide reliable service but do not guarantee:

• •Uninterrupted or error-free service
• •Availability of the Service at all times
• •Accuracy or completeness of AI-generated content
• •Compatibility with all devices or browsers

You understand that:

• •AI-generated recipes may not be eligible for copyright protection under U.S. and many international laws, as they lack sufficient human authorship
• •We do not claim ownership or copyright over AI-generated recipes. You may use generated recipes for personal use
• •Source-based recipes: Recipes generated by the AI are based on recipes found from trusted web sources. While ingredient lists and basic cooking methods are generally not copyrightable (as they are factual/functional), the AI uses exact ingredients and instruction structure from sources and rewrites instructions in natural language. This process may create derivative works. We do not claim these recipes are original or free from third-party rights.
• •Personal use: Generated recipes are intended for personal, non-commercial use. While ingredient lists and basic instructions are generally not copyrightable, the combination, structure, and any creative expression may be protected
• •Commercial use: Commercial use of generated recipes is at your own risk. You are solely responsible for ensuring your use does not infringe on third-party rights. Since recipes may be based on existing sources, you must verify recipe originality, conduct due diligence, and obtain necessary permissions/licenses before any commercial publication, distribution, or sale. We strongly recommend consulting with an intellectual property attorney before commercial use.
• •You are responsible for ensuring your use of generated recipes does not violate any third-party intellectual property rights, including copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights of recipe source websites or creators. Mealio disclaims all liability for any IP infringement claims arising from your use of generated recipes.
• •The Mealio service, website, technology, and proprietary systems are protected by intellectual property laws and remain our exclusive property

You agree not to:

• •Use the Service for any illegal, unauthorized, or harmful purpose
• •Attempt to reverse engineer, extract, or copy the AI model, prompts, or proprietary systems
• •Use automated systems, bots, or scripts to generate excessive requests or bypass rate limits (currently 50 requests per hour per IP address)
• •Use the Service to generate content that violates third-party rights, including copyright, trademark, or privacy rights
• •Use the Service to generate harmful, dangerous, inappropriate, or misleading content, or to impersonate others
• •Use generated recipes in a way that misrepresents them as human-authored without appropriate disclosure

Your Data:

• •Recipe requests: Your recipe input text is sent to OpenAI API for generation but is not stored by us or used for AI training purposes
• •Saved recipes: If you save recipes to favorites, they are stored locally in your browser or in our database (Supabase) for your personal access only
• •Rate limiting: We temporarily store IP addresses for rate limiting purposes (50 requests per hour per IP) to ensure fair service usage
• •We do not sell your data or share it with third parties except as necessary to provide the Service (e.g., OpenAI API for recipe generation)

For more information about data handling, please refer to our Privacy Policy (if applicable).

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction where Mealio operates, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in the competent courts of the applicable jurisdiction, as required by law.

EU Users: If you are located in the European Union, you may have additional rights under the EU AI Act and GDPR. AI-generated content is marked and disclosed as required by applicable regulations.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. We will notify users of material changes by:

• •Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• •Posting a notice on the Service or via email (if you have provided contact information)

Changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you must stop using the Service.

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through the appropriate channels provided on the Service.