# Food Additives 2 vs Cooking Ex Optimizer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Food Additives 2 at monthly against Cooking Ex Optimizer's every 9 months. Food Additives 2 also leads on chart position (#77 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Cooking Ex Optimizer's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Food Additives 2 costs $2.99 and Cooking Ex Optimizer $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Food Additives 2 ships an update monthly, Cooking Ex Optimizer every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Food Additives 2 | Cooking Ex Optimizer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[3.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/food-additives-2/id287917148/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IGRASS PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/287917151) | [Morten Punnerud](https://appshunter.io/developer/969844397) |

## What reviewers say

### Food Additives 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/food-additives-2/id287917148)

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Paid · Food & Drink (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive, searchable database of over 450 food additives, detailing their safety, potential health risks, and dietary implications. It's designed for health-conscious individuals, parents, and those with specific dietary needs, offering offline access to crucial information.

**Highlights:** Searchable database of 450+ food additives, Offline access to additive information, Color-coded risk assessment, Detailed side effect information, Dietary restriction compatibility, Wikipedia integration for more detail

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive food additive database
- 🛒 Highly useful for shopping and dietary needs
- 🎯 Easy-to-use interface and navigation
- 📱 Works offline without internet connection
- 🏥 Excellent for allergies, intolerances, and health conditions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 No search functionality (most frequent complaint)
- 📋 Incomplete database - missing many additives
- 🔊 Annoying sound effects without easy toggle
- ⚠️ Inconsistent or inaccurate information
- 💰 Expensive for limited content

**Reported bugs**

- App requires iOS 11+ update but not available for older devices
- Some E-numbers don't return results despite being in database
- Inconsistent information across entries
- Incorrect classifications (e.g., amaranth listed as synthetic dye)
- Missing information for some additives (e.g., brominated vegetable oil)

**Requested features**

- Search functionality by name or number
- Expanded additive database with more entries
- Specific food product examples for each additive
- iPad version
- Landscape mode support


### Cooking Ex Optimizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooking-ex-optimizer/id6749771586)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Food Additives 2 free?

Food Additives 2 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cooking Ex Optimizer free?

Cooking Ex Optimizer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Food Additives 2 or Cooking Ex Optimizer have ads?

Neither Food Additives 2 nor Cooking Ex Optimizer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Food Additives 2 or Cooking Ex Optimizer?

Food Additives 2 ships an update monthly, and Cooking Ex Optimizer every 9 months. Most recently, Food Additives 2 was updated on October 29, 2026 and Cooking Ex Optimizer on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*