Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to NutrientShield.com ("we," "us," "our," or "NutrientShield"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and share your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains our data practices when you visit our website at nutrientshield.com, create an account, use our tools (such as the Nutrient Calculator, Recipe Finder, or games), or interact with our services.

By using NutrientShield, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account or use our services, you may provide:

Data Type	Examples	Purpose
Account Information	Username, email address, password (encrypted)	Create and manage your account
Profile Information	Age, gender, dietary preferences	Personalize nutrient calculations and recommendations
Health Information	Height, weight, food intake (entered voluntarily)	Calculate nutrient needs and deficiency risks
Payment Information	Processed securely by third-party payment providers	Premium subscription purchases
User Content	Saved recipes, blog posts, game scores	Provide personalized features

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type
• Log Data: IP address, pages visited, time spent, referring URLs
• Cookies: Small files stored on your device (see Section 4)
• Usage Data: Features used, buttons clicked, search queries

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

• Analytics Providers: Google Analytics provides aggregated visitor statistics
• Advertising Partners: Google AdSense may share ad interaction data
• Payment Processors: Confirmation of successful transactions (not full payment details)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Purpose	Legal Basis (GDPR)
Provide and maintain our services	Contract performance
Create and manage your account	Contract performance
Process premium subscriptions	Contract performance
Calculate personalized nutrient recommendations	Contract performance / Consent
Save your recipes and preferences	Contract performance
Display relevant advertisements (Google AdSense)	Consent / Legitimate interest
Analyze website usage and improve our services	Legitimate interest
Send important account notifications	Contract performance
Prevent fraud and ensure security	Legitimate interest / Legal obligation
Comply with legal requirements	Legal obligation

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. For complete details about the cookies we use and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy.

Cookie Categories:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality (login, security)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (Google Analytics)
• Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver relevant ads (Google AdSense)

You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner or by visiting our Cookie Policy page.

Opt-Out Options:

• Google Ads Settings - Manage personalized ads
• Google Analytics Opt-out - Browser add-on
• Digital Advertising Alliance - Industry opt-out
• Your Online Choices - EU opt-out

5. Third-Party Services

We integrate with the following third-party services to provide our features:

Service	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Google Analytics	Website analytics and visitor statistics	Google Privacy Policy
Google AdSense	Display advertising	Google Privacy Policy
Spoonacular API	Recipe data and nutritional information	Spoonacular Terms
Edamam API	Recipe search and nutrition data	Edamam Privacy Policy
TheMealDB API	Recipe database	TheMealDB Terms
USDA FoodData Central	Nutritional data for foods	USDA FDC

6. Data Sharing

We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: Third parties that help us operate our website (hosting, payment processing, analytics)
• Advertising Partners: Google AdSense receives cookie data for ad personalization (with your consent)
• Affiliate Partners: When you click affiliate links, partners may receive referral information
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly agree to share information

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

Data Type	Retention Period
Account Information	Until you delete your account, plus 30 days for backup purposes
Saved Recipes & Preferences	Until you delete them or your account
Nutrient Calculator Data	Session-based (not permanently stored unless you save results)
Game Scores (logged-in users)	Until you delete your account
Server Logs	90 days
Analytics Data	26 months (Google Analytics default)
Payment Records	7 years (legal/tax requirements)

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: Passwords are encrypted using industry-standard hashing
• HTTPS: All data transmitted to/from our website is encrypted via SSL/TLS
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Secure Payments: Payment processing handled by PCI-compliant third parties
• Regular Updates: Security patches and updates applied regularly

9. Your Rights (GDPR and CCPA Compliance)

For All Users:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails; reject non-essential cookies

For EEA/UK Residents (GDPR):

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you additionally have the right to:

• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Restriction: Request we limit processing of your data
• Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior processing)
• Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

For California Residents (CCPA):

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:

• Know: What personal information we collect and how it's used
• Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt-Out: Opt out of the "sale" of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal data)
• Non-Discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

10. Children's Privacy

NutrientShield is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

While some features of our website (such as games or public recipe pages) may be accessed without an account, we do not collect personal data from users who are not logged in beyond standard analytics data.

Parents and Guardians: If you believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately through our Contact Page. We will take steps to delete such information promptly.

11. International Data Transfers

NutrientShield is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

For users in the EEA/UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Transfers to countries with adequate data protection (as determined by the EC)
• Reliance on service providers' certifications and compliance programs

12. Affiliate Disclosure

NutrientShield participates in affiliate marketing programs. This means we may earn commissions when you click certain links on our site and make purchases.

Current Affiliate Programs:

• Amazon Associates Program
• Other affiliate partnerships (as disclosed on relevant pages)

What This Means for You:

• Affiliate links are provided at no additional cost to you
• We only recommend products we believe provide value
• Affiliate partners may place cookies to track referrals (see our Cookie Policy)
• Product descriptions and claims are those of the manufacturers, not ours

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• For significant changes, we may notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website
• Your continued use of NutrientShield after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: