Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, protecting your genetic data is our top priority. As consumers of genomics products ourselves, privacy and security is of utmost importance. Our servers, where we score genetics data, receive data files through a secured encrypted connection. The servers themselves are fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (or “HIPAA”) passed in 1996. HIPAA was put in place to ensure that sensitive health and medical information was protected by added measures of security. Our genetics web applications run on Amazon Web Services (“AWS”). You can read about AWS security protocols here.

Our genetics laboratory, based in San Diego, California, is Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (“CLIA”) certified. Medicaire and Medicaid Services regulates lab testing in the United States to ensure quality. Our lab meets with CLIA protocols. The laboratory server farm is also located in San Diego, California at the ScaleMatrix facility.

No. In addition to ensuring compliance with HIPAA, we take things a step further. We do not store any genetic data from our customers on our server long term after nutrition plans have been processed. The 23andme files are deleted automatically after they have been scored. The files from our lab are only kept for short term storage which gives customers the opportunity to access their raw data files, should they choose to do so.

There is a record of the genes, orSNPs, themselves that we use in scoring customers into unique diet types. We need this information to power the nutrition app, but the raw data file itself is automatically deleted from our server once the 23andme nutrition plan is processed.

Once deleted, we no longer have access to these files unless you choose to share them with us again at a future time. We never share your data with a third party and do not use the data you provide for any reason other than to deliver you nutrition insights. Should Gene Food ever be acquired by a third party, the purchaser would not gain access to any of the genetic data files from our customers as they are scrubbed from our servers.

Not at this time. Our sole product is the custom nutrition plan and Keto score which can be accessed using raw genetic data from other providers.

Gene Food uses raw data files from providers like 23andme and Ancestry to create the reports. Accessing raw data is easy, both providers offer instructions. 23andme users, click here for instructions. Ancestry users can visit this page for instructions. At the end of the process, you should have either a zip or txt file to share through our encrypted form.

Yes, the nutrition plans offer macronutrient recommendations, but also a “system of eating” designed to make the plans easy to follow. Each nutrition plan comes complete with a 2 week meal plan and detailed shopping list to get you started on your new diet.

The products are similar. Whether you test through the Gene Food lab in San Diego, or use data from a genotyping service like 23andme, we use raw data to score customers into one of twenty diet plans listed on our website. The advantage of ordering a test kit through Gene Food is even more coverage for the genes we use to calculate your score. From version to version, providers like 23andme can change the genes they include in raw data. For example, V5 of 23andme leaves out some histamine metabolism genes we use to calculate histamine scores. The Gene Food test kits evaluate almost all the genes we regard as important based on the latest scientific research. As such, the Gene Food testing process offers some “bonus genes” that allow us to take into account even more data when scoring customers. However, this does not mean the 23andme results are not accurate. We won’t formulate a score unless there is a minimum number of genes included in the raw data file we receive.

For 23andme and Ancestry plans:

Our nutrition plans based on Ancestry and 23andme raw data are digital products that cannot be returned once accessed. As a result, we offer refunds for these plans only prior to logging in and accessing the nutrition plan. If you haven’t yet logged in and would like to request a refund, please use the Website Contact Form and we will respond within 24 hours.

For test kits:

Returns are accepted for unopened kits. Notify us of the refund request through our Website Contact Form. Unopened kits sent back to Gene Food within 14 days of receipt will receive a partial refund of 75%.

In order to receive a 75% refund on your kit purchased from Gene Food, test kits are required to be sent back unopened, undamaged and unused in original, sealed packaging.

If the kit has been opened but not used or processed, or if you notify us of your request for a refund prior to receiving your nutrition plan results, customers are eligible for a refund of 50% of the price paid for the test kit. Please note: in the case of test kits, we cannot offer a refund after the nutrition plan has been issued and results have been sent.

Yes, we offer custom nutrition plan discounts for bulk orders. Typically, these arrangements are reserved for physicians and nutrition professionals who use the product in their practice, but we can also accommodate gyms, large groups, or even families. Send us an email through our Contact Form and tell us about your group.

Everyone is welcome to order a nutrition plan! We trust in our product and believe it has value for a diverse range of people. However, nutrition has become a controversial topic in our society as of late. If you already love the diet you’re on, the custom nutrition plan might not be a fit for you as there is a chance our recommendations could diverge from your current dietary philosophy.

Maybe. The Gene Food algorithm evaluates customers for wheat sensitivity, lactose intolerance, and trouble clearing histamine. All of these issues can contribute to digestive problems. However, there are lifestyle factors that contribute to digestive issues as well. For example, when a digestive problem has been caused by repeated use of antibiotics, it’s less likely nutrigenetic testing will offer a solution.