Pallergen has a two-part mission.

1. 1.We make it easier for people with dietary restrictions to figure out where they can eat. Plus: which items they can safely order once they get there.
2. 2.We drive more traffic to the small-business restaurants that work hard to accommodate every dietary restriction.

Maine has one of the most exciting food scenes in the country, but finding a safe meal when you have a dietary restriction often becomes a multi-step research process. So we’re reading every menu in Maine and surfacing the items that are labeled for allergens: which dishes are gluten-free, which can be modified, and which restaurants take allergen safety seriously. We turn all of that into a single, searchable database — built for both Mainers and the visitors who come for the food.

Right now Pallergen focuses on gluten-free dining. Nearly 3 million Americans live with celiac disease, and tens of millions more follow a gluten-free diet by choice or medical necessity — making it one of the fastest-growing dietary categories in the country. Over time we’re building out coverage for the full FDA Big 9 allergens and beyond.

If you have dietary restrictions and live in Maine, we’d love your feedback — what restaurants are we missing? What would make Pallergen more useful for you? Send us a note or sign up below to get updates as we work to create allergen menus everywhere.