What's new: new look, multi-recipe PDFs, recipe tagging, newest FOP graphics

It's been a few months since we've updated our readers here, but that's only because we've been so busy making alacalc.co.uk even better!

Here's a round-up of the latest changes which you can access right now by logging in or signing up for a free trial.

• Fresh new look - updated more modern look at feel throughout a la calc
• Download many recipes in a single PDF - including the new UK/EU front-of-pack (FoP) graphic labels being phased in through 2013/2014
• Recipe tagging - tag recipes for better organisation
• Recipe optimisation - the next BIG thing from a la calc

Want to know more? Carry on reading below.

Fresh new look

We've made updates to every single page within a la calc to update the look and feel of the website. For the most part the changes are visual and offer new look buttons, colour schemes and a new navigation bar. The most obvious changes are on the public pages seen before logging in, but the changes run deep throughout every page with every button and input box tweaked for a more comfortable experience

Multi-Recipe PDFs which include the latest UK/EU front-of-pack (FOP) graphic labels

A couple of months ago we introduced the new UK/EU front of pack labels, but due to back-end work on the PDFs we were unable to include them in the PDF downloads. Now this work is completed and the new front of pack labels are available to download now in JPEG and PDF format (including when downloading multi-recipe PDFs from the My Recipes > View all list).

Recipe Management Improvements - tagging

a la calc has never seen itself as a recipe organiser and so has never offered much help in the organisation of your recipes. We plan on changing this gradually over the coming months. To start us off we're introducing recipe labelling. Now you can group your recipes by applying tags tags (as many as you want). For example, if you have a vegetarian, gluten-free dessert on your summer menu you can tag this recipe with 'gluten-free, vegetarian, dessert, summer' and from the View all recipes list filter by any one of those tags to easily find that recipe in the future. 

Recipe Optimisation (beta)

The next big thing in a la calc: Optimisation. Set targets for the major nutrients and a la calc will tell you what to adjust to achieve these targets, quickly visually see the contribution of particular ingredients to key nutrients, adjust ingredients and get live visual feedback as to how your salt/calories/fat/saturates/sugar are effected. This is currently still in beta so we cannot guarantee perfect results but we'd like to get your feedback on this feature so we can iron it into the perfect tool for tailoring your recipes to specific demands.



All of the above features are available NOW. To view them simply sign in or register to a la calc.