When Was This Opened?

When Was This Opened?

By Christopher Romani

When Was This Opened? is a food safety reference utility for home cooks, providing shelf-life guidance based on official FDA and USDA data on iOS.

The App DNA

What makes this app unique?

The app removes the cognitive friction of searching government databases for expiration guidance, serving users who prioritize food waste reduction over social recipe discovery.

For Home cooks and individuals focused on refrigerator inventory management and reducing food waste through evidence-based safety guidelines.

Key features

Safety Guidance Databasestandard

Provides shelf-life recommendations for dairy, meats, and produce based on official FDA and USDA guidelines.

Local Data Processingstandard

Performs all calculations locally to ensure user privacy without data transmission.

Source Verificationstandard

Links directly to government food safety sources for user verification.

How much does it cost?

paid$0.99

The $0.99 upfront cost positions the app as a premium utility, avoiding the ad-supported model common in the broader recipe category.

Velocity

Steady developmentShow more...

See all version history

Who built it?

Christopher Romani

5 apps tracked · Food & Drink

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Explore the full publisher profile

User Sentiment

What do users think recently?

How are ratings & reviews evolving?

App Store
5.00 · 1

Not enough recent reviews to extract reliable themes yet.

Read the full review analysis

Competition

Competitive landscape for When Was This Opened?

How's the Food & Drink market?

When Was This Opened? holds a niche position in the Food & Drink category, currently ranked #47 in the US Paid sub-category. The $0.99 price point differentiates it from free, ad-supported recipe apps, though the single-rating count signals limited market penetration.

The rivals identified

Cookpad Recipes
Cookpad Recipesactive nemesis

By Cookpad Inc.

Cookpad dominates the food category by providing a massive, community-driven recipe ecosystem that captures users looking for guidance on what to do with their ingredients.

  • Leverages a massive global community for user-generated content that this app lacks entirely
  • Integrates advanced AI recipe assistants to provide personalized cooking help beyond simple safety guidelines
  • Offers a robust social platform that encourages daily engagement through recipe sharing and community interaction
When Was This Opened? vs Cookpad Recipes

Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.

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The Analyst's Read

Key takeaways for When Was This Opened?

Where is it heading?

The food utility market is consolidating around integrated platforms that combine safety guidance with recipe discovery and inventory tracking. When Was This Opened? remains exposed due to its static feature set, and it must evolve into a broader kitchen management tool to survive against generalist rivals.

  • The app has remained in a maintenance-only state since launch, which limits its ability to compete with feature-rich recipe platforms.
  • The lack of recent updates suggests a static product lifecycle, which risks losing relevance as competitors integrate safety data into broader ecosystems.

The SWOT

Core Strengths
  • Local-first data processing ensures user privacy
  • Government-backed source links provide trust
Critical Frictions 2 weaknesses inside
Growth Levers
  • Add pantry-tracking to increase daily utility
Market Threats 1 threat identified

Next best moves

1 Invest

Ship pantry-tracking feature because it is the top missing utility for inventory management → increase daily active usage

The counter-intuitive read

Users report: The $0.99 price point is an advantage, not a barrier…

Read the full take

Feature gaps

Community recipe sharing (available in Cookpad Recipes but absent here) +1

Since the last report: The app's strategic outlook shifted from a neutral maintenance observation to a critical warning regarding its long-term retention risks. While the feature set remains static, the analytical framework now prioritizes the necessity of pantry-tracking integration to counter the threat of generalist recipe platforms.

Bottom line

When Was This Opened? serves a clear niche, but the lack of a retention loop limits its growth potential. Investing in pantry-tracking would transform the app from a static reference tool into a daily-use kitchen management hub, unlocking higher user lifetime value.

Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat and the analyst’s take.

Access the full report for free

FAQ

Is When Was This Opened? worth paying for?
The app is a one-time $0.99 purchase. It is suitable for users who want a privacy-focused, ad-free reference tool for food safety, but it lacks the community and recipe features found in free alternatives.
How does this compare to Cookpad Recipes?
Cookpad Recipes is a community-driven platform with millions of recipes and social features, whereas When Was This Opened? is a specialized, static reference tool focused solely on food safety guidelines.
Does this app collect my personal data?
No. The app processes all calculations locally on your device and does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data.
What are free alternatives to this app?
Many generalist recipe apps and government food safety websites provide similar shelf-life guidance for free, though they often include ads or lack the app's distraction-free, privacy-first interface.

Sources

  1. [1] App Store, source

Report last updated

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with automated quality gates, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by When Was This Opened?, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The app's strategic outlook shifted from a neutral maintenance observation to a critical warning regarding its long-term retention risks. While the feature set remains static, the analytical framework now prioritizes the necessity of pantry-tracking integration to counter the threat of generalist recipe platforms.

shifted

Strategic Outlook Narrative

shifted

Contrarian Take

removed

SWOT Analysis Refinement

shifted

Feature Gap Specification

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “When Was This Opened? Intelligence Report.” Updated Aug 15, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-createinc-0520bc5407634b5b96d3ef91f2582d3b

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