Ingredient List Comparator

Written by Lily Gates

Description

This script compares the ingredient lists of two products entered via the command line. It identifies unique ingredients for each product as well as shared or similar ingredients.

• Similar ingredients are defined as those derived from the same base component but appearing in different forms or derivatives (e.g., various Vitamin C compounds or retinol variants).
• For shared ingredients, the script reports their relative position within each product’s ingredient list, including percentile rankings.

The output includes:

• A pandas DataFrame showing shared ingredients, their positions, and relative percentiles in both products.
• Visualizations of the shared ingredients through bar graphs, scatter plots, and heat maps.

Usage

Run the script from the command line. You will be prompted to input ingredient lists for two products. Enter ingredients as comma-separated values.

python ingredient_comparison.py

Then enter product names and ingredients when prompted.

The script will output:

• A table showing shared and unique ingredients, along with their relative positions in each product.
• Visualizations comparing the shared ingredients (bar chart, scatter plot, heat map).

Note: Be sure you have installed the required dependencies before running.

Required Dependencies

This project requires the following Python libraries:

• numpy — for numerical operations
• pandas — for data manipulation and DataFrame handling
• matplotlib — for creating visualizations such as bar charts and scatter plots
• seaborn — for enhanced statistical data visualization, including heat maps

Future Seteps

• Develop a GUI and/or web-based interface for easier use.
• Integrate Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to allow input via images of ingredient lists.