Inspiration

Recalls are easy to miss because most people don’t keep a list of everything they’ve bought. We wanted to make it easier to find out when something at home might be unsafe.

What it does

WeCanRecall turns receipt photos and barcode scans into a list of your products. It checks Canadian recall notices, flags possible matches, helps you verify the package or lot number, and shows what to do next.

How we built it

We built a phone and web app with Expo, an API that checks Health Canada recall data, and a locally run AI model that reads receipts. Barcode lookups help turn product codes into recognizable names.

Challenges we ran into

Receipts can be blurry, product names don’t always match recall notices, and many notices lack exact lot details. We had to make those uncertain matches clear instead of claiming a product was definitely recalled.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built the full flow from scanning a receipt to reviewing products, spotting a possible recall, checking a lot number, and finding the next step. We implemented a local Qwen model instead of using OpenAI or similar for maximum efficiency.

What we learned

A useful recall alert needs more than a matching product name. People need to know whether their specific package is affected.

What's next for WeCanRecall

We want to improve receipt reading and lot verification, then add notifications that reach people even when the app is closed and eventually deploy a version for everyone to use.

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