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Ingredients

The ingredients section is your master catalogue of all raw ingredients used in cooking. It is different from the inventory (which tracks how much you have in stock) — ingredients define what you use and all the details about each item.

What ingredient information is stored​

  • Name — the ingredient name
  • Unit — how it is measured (kg, litres, pieces, grams, ml, etc.)
  • Price — the cost per unit (from your supplier)
  • Allergens — which allergens this ingredient contains (nuts, gluten, dairy, etc.)
  • Nutritional values — calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates per 100g
  • Country of origin — where the ingredient comes from
  • Carbon footprint — environmental impact per kg (if tracked)
  • Supplier — which supplier(s) provide this ingredient
  • Supplier code — the product code in the supplier's catalogue (for ordering)

How ingredients connect to the rest of the system​

When you add an ingredient to a recipe, the system automatically uses all the details stored here:

  • Allergens — warnings are shown on menus and order forms
  • Nutrition — used to calculate total nutrition for the recipe and meal
  • Price — used to calculate food cost for the recipe
  • Carbon footprint — used to calculate environmental impact

This means you enter information once, and it flows through the entire system automatically.

Finding ingredients​

Go to Inventory in the main menu or search in the ingredient field when editing a recipe.

You can filter by:

  • Allergens (to find all ingredients containing nuts, gluten, etc.)
  • Supplier
  • Type (vegetables, proteins, dairy, etc.)

Use the search box to find an ingredient by name quickly.

Adding a new ingredient​

  1. Click + Create

  2. Fill in the ingredient details:

    • Name — the ingredient name (e.g., "Chicken breast")
    • Unit — how it is measured (kg, g, pieces, ml, etc.)
    • Allergens — check any that apply

  3. Optionally add:

    • Price — cost per unit (from your supplier)
    • Nutritional values — calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates per 100g
    • Supplier — which company sells this
    • Country of origin
    • Carbon footprint — environmental impact

  4. Click Save

Nutritional values can be:

  • Entered manually if you know them
  • Imported from your country's food database (if integrated)
  • Looked up from a nutrition table

If you don't have nutritional data, leave it blank — the system will work fine without it.

Updating a price​

When a supplier changes their price:

  1. Open the ingredient
  2. Change the Price field
  3. Click Save

The new price will automatically flow through to:

  • All recipes using this ingredient
  • All food cost calculations
  • All nutrition labels that show cost

Note: This only affects future calculations. Historical data and completed orders keep the old price.

Managing allergens​

Why allergens matter:

  • Customers with allergies or intolerances depend on accurate information
  • Regulatory requirements (food safety laws)
  • Liability — incorrect allergen information is a serious risk

When adding an ingredient:

  • Always check allergen information
  • Check the ingredient packaging if unsure
  • If in doubt, mark it as potentially containing the allergen
  • Contact your supplier if you're not sure

Common allergens in the system:

  • Gluten / Wheat
  • Nuts (tree nuts)
  • Peanuts
  • Milk / Dairy
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Soy
  • Sesame

The system will:

  • Show allergen warnings on every menu next to dishes containing them
  • Flag customer orders if they order a meal with an allergen they're allergic to
  • Help customers search for "allergen-free" meals

Copying an ingredient​

If you need to create a very similar ingredient, you can:

  1. Open the ingredient you want to copy
  2. Click Copy or Save As
  3. Change the name (e.g., "Organic Chicken breast" instead of "Chicken breast")
  4. Adjust any details
  5. Click Save

This is faster than creating from scratch.

Ingredient categories​

Some systems organize ingredients into categories:

  • Vegetables — all types of produce
  • Proteins — meat, fish, legumes
  • Dairy — milk products, cheese
  • Pantry items — dried goods, oils, spices
  • Prepared ingredients — items that come pre-processed

Ask your administrator if categories are used in your system.

Linking to suppliers​

In the ingredient details, you can link to one or more suppliers:

  1. Open the ingredient
  2. Under Suppliers, click + Add
  3. Select a supplier from the list
  4. Enter their product code (if they have one)
  5. Enter their price
  6. Click Save

This helps when:

  • Generating shopping lists
  • Comparing prices between suppliers
  • Placing purchase orders
  • Tracking supplier changes

Using ingredients in recipes​

Once you have created ingredients, use them in recipes by:

  1. Opening a recipe
  2. Clicking + Add Ingredient
  3. Searching for the ingredient by name
  4. Entering the quantity needed
  5. The system will auto-fill the unit, allergens, nutrition, and price

The ingredient data is then locked to that recipe — future changes to the ingredient won't affect recipes that already use it (you control this with "version locking" if needed).

Deleting an ingredient​

You can delete an ingredient if:

  • It is not used in any recipe
  • It is not in your current inventory
  • You are certain you don't need it

If an ingredient is used in a recipe, you must remove it from all recipes first before deleting it.

warning

Always check if an ingredient is used before deleting. Deleted ingredients cannot be recovered.