Informed consent

Declaration of consent for the use of data collected as part of the meala Pizza Challenge 

Dear participant,
Thank you for your interest in our meala pizza challenge. It is important to us to inform you comprehensively about what we do. We will only use your data with your consent and only for the purpose you have specified. Below you will find a description of our pizza challenge and explanations of how we use your data:


I. Background
42 different factors can affect blood glucose – most importantly diet and carbohydrate intake. Pizza poses a particular challenge due to its high fat content. The Pizza Challenge therefore evaluates your own blood glucose management in a playful way and complements it with peer support and exchange with others.

II. Objective of meala
The goal of meala is to better understand the assessment of meals and in particular the effects of nutrients on one’s own body, as well as to contribute to a general increase in well-being. In concrete terms, this is achieved by gaining individual insights through the recording of the above-mentioned factors. Through continuous scientific monitoring, the quality of the statements on a healthy lifestyle is constantly being improved. Studies have shown that the exchange and retrospective analysis of one’s own health values leads to greater health literacy. A better estimation and understanding of the effect of carbohydrates can lead to a more stable blood sugar.

III. Process
meala can be used to better understand one’s own body or as a free tracking tool. meala is basically designed for long-term use, whereby we naturally adhere to the applicable legal data deletion periods. Anyone who lives in the European Economic Area can participate. However, participation may be restricted for health or legal reasons, e.g. due to age or pre-existing conditions that would pose a risk to users. Participants of the meala Pizza Challenge follow the following process or at least parts of it:


1) Completing a general management questionnaire.
2) Wearing a CGM for at least 10 days.
3) Eating their first pizza and estimating their carbohydrate intake
4) Completing a questionnaire about the management of the 1st pizza.
5) Consumption of the second pizza and evaluation of the carbohydrate estimation
6) Filling in a questionnaire about the management of the 2nd pizza.

Depending on the edition of the meala Pizza Challenge, there may be deviations from this process.
As a result, each participant will receive an evaluation of their own carbohydrate estimation.

IV. Use of the obtained samples and data protection
Responsible for the processing of your personal and non-personal data is meala GmbH, Dolziger Straße 7, (hereinafter “meala” or “we”), which organizes the meala Pizza Challenge.
We process the personal data generated in the course of the program for the purpose of scientific research and the development of algorithms, on the basis of the consent you have given by signing this form (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a DSGVO). You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future, which does not affect the lawfulness of the processing until your revocation.
The University of Lübeck, the Diabetes Center Bern and the HTW Berlin process all personal data on our behalf and are strictly bound by instructions as processors according to Art. 28 DSGVO.
Your data will not be passed on, except to these processors, unless we have received your prior consent.
Your data is handled according to the highest security standards. They are inaccessible to third parties and at all times it is organizationally and technically ensured that your personal data is protected and processed only for the purposes described above. The use of our services is possible in pseudonymous form. Your name, address or telephone number will not be explicitly requested by us at any time, unless it is a legal requirement. We call this “Privacy by Design”. Your data collected during the Pizza Challenge will be treated confidentially at all times and will only be transmitted in encrypted form. The data required for the scientific studies will be processed in pseudonymized form and stored in a separate database. Your personal data and the medical data are stored separately in pseudonymized form. The assignment of these pseudonymized data to your person is only possible by means of a database key, which is stored separately from the examination results. The database key, with which an identification of your person is possible, is only available to meala. The University of Lübeck, the Diabetes Center Bern or HTW Berlin do not have access to the database key, so they cannot identify you as a rule and the data are not personal to them.
You have the right to obtain information about your personal data stored or otherwise processed by meala, and to have this data corrected or deleted. You also have the right to restrict processing as well as the right to object to processing and the right to data portability.
Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.
With all questions regarding the processing of your personal data, you can also contact our data protection officer at any time. You can reach him at the above address of meala or at mail@heymeala.com or +49 176 913 434 98.

  1. Voluntariness and withdrawal clause
    Your consent to participate in the study can be revoked at any time and without giving reasons to meala. You will not be reimbursed for any costs incurred by meala or the University of Lübeck, the Diabetes Center Bern or HTW Berlin.
    If you have any further questions, please contact meala at mail@heymeala.com.

  1. Communication of health-relevant findings from the collected data
    In the course of the Pizza Challenge, data is collected that can lead to insights into your state of health. Also indications of diseases are possible, for example diabetes mellitus. Your health is important to us and if such indications occur, we can inform you of them. Whether you want to be informed or not in this case is your decision. At the bottom of this document, you can tick whether or not you wish to be informed of such findings.
    We would be very pleased if you would give us your consent to the use of your data as described above. In order for us to proceed with the Challenge, we need your consent. This is given in full by ticking the box on our website or in the Meala App below this statement, or in full or in part by signing this statement.

    Consent statement for the processing of data and analysis of nutrition, carbohydrate estimates, insulin and blood glucose levels for research and development purposes.
    Meala – Analysis of Blood Glucose & Nutrition.

A. Consent
Through meala GmbH, Dolziger Straße 7 Berlin personal data, which as health data represent special categories of personal data, shall be processed. The use of information about my health will be in accordance with the legal provisions of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). I give the following declaration of consent:

  1. I agree that the data collected in the context of participation in Meala- programs, digital health applications, medical products, studies and the free use of the Meala App, in particular information about my health, will be processed by Meala for the purpose of research and development of medicines. For this purpose, data about my medical history, lifestyle, dietary habits, blood sugar, will be processed. Meala obtains this data through my own dietary documentation, regular measurements of my blood sugar and analysis of my carbohydrate estimates.
  2. I agree that my data will be kept for ten years after completion or cancellation of the Pizza Challenge, and beyond if necessary in individual cases. After that, my personal data will be deleted, unless there are legal retention periods to the contrary.
  3. I assure that the samples sent in originate from myself.
    Participation in meala’s Pizza Challenge is voluntary and I can revoke my consent at any time without giving reasons and without disadvantages with effect for the future. I can declare my consent to meala by sending a statement to the above addresses. My revocation does not affect the lawfulness of the data processing until the time of revocation.