Check a recipe for missing or unused ingredients
Paste the ingredient list and instructions. FOOGG compares those two parts of the same recipe and flags likely ingredients that never appear in the method, method-only ingredients, duplicate lines and missing quantities.
What each flag means
| Flag | What FOOGG noticed | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredient not used in method | An ingredient-list term was not found in the instructions. | Check for a missing step, a synonym, a garnish or an ingredient used only in a sub-recipe. |
| Method-only ingredient | A common ingredient appears in the instructions but not in the ingredient list. | Confirm whether the quantity was accidentally omitted from the list. |
| Duplicate line | The same normalized ingredient line appears more than once. | Decide whether it is intentional for separate components or an accidental duplicate. |
| Missing quantity | A list line has no leading numeric amount and is not a recognized intentional phrase such as “salt to taste”. | Check the source before cooking rather than guessing an amount. |
Worked example: catch a missing vanilla step
Paste 2 cups flour · 1 cup sugar · 2 eggs · 1 tsp vanilla as the ingredients, then use instructions that say only “Whisk the eggs and sugar. Fold in the flour. Bake until set.” The checker should flag vanilla as unused. That is useful evidence that the method deserves a second look, but it is not proof that vanilla was meant to be mixed in: it could also be a garnish, optional addition or source-copy problem.
Common false positives
- Synonyms: “scallions” in the list and “green onions” in the method may describe the same ingredient.
- Grouped components: a sauce, filling or topping may be prepared in a separate block of instructions.
- Garnishes: herbs, zest or seeds can be listed but intentionally used only at serving time.
- Generic words: a method may say “oil the pan” even when the recipe author did not intend that oil to be part of the measured ingredient list.
How to use a flag
- Compare the flagged line with the original recipe source.
- Look for synonyms, plural forms and separate recipe components.
- Only edit the recipe when the source or your own cooking plan supports the change.
- For safety-critical cooking decisions, follow authoritative food-safety guidance rather than this text check.
What this checker does — and does not do
FOOGG uses deterministic text rules in your browser. It does not decide whether a recipe is safe, nutritionally complete or culinarily correct. A flag is a review prompt, not an automatic correction. The current matching rules and limitations are documented in the methodology.
Why no AI upload?
For these basic consistency checks, a local rule-based approach is fast, private and reproducible. Your pasted recipe does not need to leave the browser, and the same input produces the same class of checks each time.