Cookie Policy
Last updated: January 2024
Understanding Our Cookie Use
Essential Meal School uses cookies on our website to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site performance, and understand how visitors interact with our editorial content. This policy explains what cookies are, the types we use, and how you can manage your cookie preferences.
Our website is an informational and editorial platform dedicated to providing valuable nutritional and culinary content. We use cookies solely to improve content delivery and user experience, not for commercial transactions.
The information on this site is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit a website. They contain information about your browsing behavior and preferences. Cookies are widely used to:
- Remember user preferences and settings
- Analyze how visitors use the website
- Improve website functionality and performance
- Enable essential site features
- Understand content engagement patterns
Cookies do not contain personally identifiable information like your name, email, or financial details, unless you explicitly provide them through a form.
Types of Cookies We Use
Essential (Strictly Necessary) Cookies
These cookies are required for the website to function properly. They enable core features such as page navigation, security, and access to secure areas. Without essential cookies, the website may not work correctly.
Duration: Session or persistent (up to 1 year) | User Consent: Not required
Performance Cookies
These cookies collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with our website. They help us understand which articles are most read, which features are used frequently, and how users navigate our content. This information helps us improve our editorial offerings.
Duration: Up to 2 years | User Consent: Required
Functional Cookies
These cookies remember your preferences and choices, such as language settings, font size preferences, or whether you've dismissed notifications. They enhance your personalized browsing experience on our site.
Duration: Up to 1 year | User Consent: Required
Targeting & Advertising Cookies
These cookies are used by our advertising partners to show you relevant advertisements based on your interests and browsing behavior on our site and other websites. They help advertisers understand the effectiveness of their campaigns.
Duration: Up to 2 years | User Consent: Required
Cookie List & Details
| Cookie Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID | Essential | Maintains user session and security | Session |
| cookie_consent | Functional | Records user's cookie consent preferences | 1 year |
| language_preference | Functional | Remembers preferred language setting | 1 year |
| _ga | Performance | Google Analytics - identifies unique visitors | 2 years |
| _gat | Performance | Google Analytics - throttles request rate | 1 minute |
| _gid | Performance | Google Analytics - session identification | 24 hours |
| fr | Targeting/Advertising | Facebook - ad relevance and measurement | 90 days |
| _fbp | Targeting/Advertising | Facebook - conversion tracking | 90 days |
| NID | Targeting/Advertising | Google - ad personalization | 6 months |
How to Manage Your Cookies
Browser Settings
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
- View what cookies are stored on your device
- Delete all or specific cookies
- Block cookies from all websites or specific domains
- Allow cookies only from trusted sites
Instructions for managing cookies in popular browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
Cookie Consent Management
When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can:
- Accept all cookies (essential, functional, performance, and advertising)
- Accept only essential cookies
- Customize which cookie types you want to accept
- Withdraw or modify your consent at any time through this page
Do Not Track (DNT)
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" feature. When enabled, it signals to websites that you don't wish to be tracked. We respect DNT signals; however, not all third-party services may honor this preference.
Third-Party Cookies
We work with trusted third-party services that may set their own cookies on your device:
- Google Analytics: Analyzes website traffic and user behavior to help us understand our audience and improve content.
- Facebook Pixel: Tracks user interactions for campaign measurement and audience insights.
- Google Ads: Enables ad personalization and conversion tracking across websites.
These third parties have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review their policies on their respective websites.
Data Protection & Security
We take the protection of your data seriously. Cookies do not contain sensitive personal information unless you provide it through our forms. All data collected through cookies is:
- Stored securely using encryption protocols
- Used only for stated purposes
- Not sold to third parties
- Kept separate from personally identifiable information
- Retained only as long as necessary
For detailed information about how we handle your personal data, please review our Privacy Policy and Disclaimer.
Legal Compliance
Our cookie practices comply with relevant data protection regulations including:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): EU regulation requiring explicit consent for non-essential cookies
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act): California privacy law giving consumers control over their data
- ePrivacy Directive: Regulations on electronic communications and cookie consent
- German Data Protection Laws: Compliance with BDSG and other applicable regulations in our region
We obtain your explicit consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device and provide clear mechanisms for withdrawing consent.
Questions About Our Cookie Policy?
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about our use of cookies or this policy, our editorial team welcomes your inquiry.
Essential Meal School
Berliner Straße 24
Hamburg, Germany
For content questions and feedback, please [email protected].
Policy Updates
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last updated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Continued use of our website following changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.
© 2024 Essential Meal School – USt-IdNr.: DE880906946. All rights reserved.
An informational and editorial platform for nutritional and culinary knowledge.