Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the HealMeal website and related services (the "Service") operated by HealMeal ("we," "our," or "us"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service. We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Continued use after modifications constitutes acceptance.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher) to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this requirement.

3. Description of Service

HealMeal is a dietary education and cooking platform that provides:

• Recipe search and discovery with dietary filtering
• AI-assisted recipe transformation, generation, and analysis
• Ingredient-level educational signals (e.g., potential triggers, portion sensitivity)
• Meal planning tools and recipe collections
• Community sharing and commentary features

4. Health & Medical Disclaimer

4.1 No Medical Advice

Nothing on the Service constitutes medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services. All information is provided for general educational and informational purposes only.

4.2 No Healthcare Relationship

Use of the Service does not create a doctor-patient, dietitian-client, or any other healthcare provider relationship between you and HealMeal or its employees, contractors, or affiliates.

4.3 Consult Healthcare Professionals

You should consult qualified healthcare professionals before making dietary changes, especially if you have conditions including (but not limited to):

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or other gastrointestinal disorders
• Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, or gestational) or pre-diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or high cholesterol
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or esophageal conditions
• Chronic kidney disease or renal impairment
• Food allergies, intolerances, or sensitivities
• Eating disorders or disordered eating patterns
• Any condition requiring dietary modification or monitoring

4.4 AI-Generated Content Limitations

You acknowledge that AI-generated content:

• May contain errors, inaccuracies, or omissions
• Is based on general patterns, not your individual biology or medical history
• Has not been clinically tested or verified by healthcare professionals
• Does not guarantee tolerance, safety, or health outcomes
• May misidentify ingredients or their properties

4.5 No Guarantee of Results

HealMeal makes no guarantees regarding symptom improvement, dietary results, or health outcomes. Individual responses to foods vary significantly based on genetics, medications, health status, and other factors.

5. User Accounts

When creating an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Safeguard your password and account credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of unauthorized access

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms at our sole discretion.

6. User Responsibilities

You agree that you will:

• Use the Service only for lawful purposes
• Not treat Service content as medical advice or substitute for professional care
• Not misuse AI features or automate access without permission
• Not upload harmful, misleading, defamatory, or illegal content
• Not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
• Not interfere with or disrupt the Service's integrity or performance
• Respect community guidelines and other users

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 HealMeal Content

HealMeal retains all rights to the Service, platform, proprietary technology, and original content. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

7.2 User Content

You retain ownership of content you create or submit (such as saved recipes, notes, or comments). By submitting content, you grant HealMeal a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, and display such content in connection with operating and improving the Service.

7.3 AI-Generated Content

• You own your inputs (prompts, recipe URLs, preferences)
• HealMeal owns the platform, AI models, and aggregated/anonymized outputs
• You are granted a license to use AI-generated recipes and content for personal, non-commercial use

7.4 Feedback

Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide may be used by HealMeal without obligation or compensation.

8. Community Content & Moderation

HealMeal may review, moderate, remove, or restrict content that:

• Contains health misinformation or dangerous advice
• Violates these Terms or community guidelines
• Poses safety, legal, or reputational risks
• Is spam, abusive, or harassing

We are not responsible for user-generated content and do not endorse opinions expressed by users.

9. Subscriptions & Paid Features

If paid subscriptions or premium features are offered:

• Fees, billing cycles, and renewal terms will be disclosed at purchase
• Subscriptions may auto-renew unless canceled before the renewal date
• Refunds are subject to applicable law and our stated refund policies
• We reserve the right to modify pricing with reasonable notice

10. Limitation of Liability

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HealMeal and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your content or submissions
• Your dietary decisions or health outcomes
• Your violation of any third-party rights

12. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or use of the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual property violations.

Class Action Waiver: You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive any right to participate in class actions or class arbitrations.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any legal action shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Francisco County, California.

14. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause or notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including ownership, warranty disclaimers, indemnification, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

16. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Medical Disclaimer, constitute the entire agreement between you and HealMeal regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.

17. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be notified at least 30 days in advance via email or prominent notice on the Service. Continued use after changes become effective constitutes acceptance.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: