diff --git a/src/components/ProductModal.jsx b/src/components/ProductModal.jsx
index c00180c..1449f01 100644
--- a/src/components/ProductModal.jsx
+++ b/src/components/ProductModal.jsx
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ export function ProductModal({ product, onClose, onSelectRecommendation }) {
 
         {description && <p className="mt-3 text-sm leading-relaxed text-ink-800">{description}</p>}
 
-        <NutritionPanel brand={brand} imageId={product.image_id} productName={product_name} />
+        <NutritionPanel brand={brand} imageId={product.image_id} productName={product_name} category={category} />
 
         {size_variants.length > 0 && (
           <Section icon={Tag} label="Available sizes">
diff --git a/src/components/nutrition/NutritionPanel.jsx b/src/components/nutrition/NutritionPanel.jsx
index 3395f24..478334b 100644
--- a/src/components/nutrition/NutritionPanel.jsx
+++ b/src/components/nutrition/NutritionPanel.jsx
@@ -45,7 +45,21 @@ function ScoreBadge({ label, score }) {
   );
 }
 
-export function NutritionPanel({ brand, imageId, productName }) {
+// Categories with no nutrition panel to show, mirroring
+// backend/app/services/consumability.py. Kept here so the empty state can say
+// WHY it is empty: "we could not find data" and "this is a bar of soap" are
+// different facts, and the first reads as a failure the user might retry.
+const NON_CONSUMABLE_CATEGORIES = new Set([
+  'hair care', 'skin care', 'skin & bath care', 'bath soap', 'beauty care',
+  'oral care', 'fragrance & deodorants', "men's grooming", 'feminine hygiene',
+  'personal care', 'detergents & fabric care', 'dishwash', 'household cleaning',
+  'household - agarbatti', 'household - lamp oil', 'household - air freshener',
+  'personal care - mosquito repellent', 'health care - cold & cough',
+  'health care - digestive', 'health care - antiseptic', 'health care - first aid',
+  'flowers',
+]);
+
+export function NutritionPanel({ brand, imageId, productName, category }) {
   const [nutrition, setNutrition] = useState(null);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [perServing, setPerServing] = useState(false);
@@ -80,11 +94,13 @@ export function NutritionPanel({ brand, imageId, productName }) {
   }
 
   if (!nutrition || nutrition.data_status === 'unavailable') {
+    const notFood = NON_CONSUMABLE_CATEGORIES.has((category || '').trim().toLowerCase());
     return (
       <Section icon={Activity} label="Nutrition">
         <p className="text-xs text-slate-400">
-          Nutrition data unavailable for {productName || 'this product'}. Verified nutrition facts
-          couldn't be confidently matched from trusted sources yet.
+          {notFood
+            ? `Nutrition information doesn't apply to ${productName || 'this product'} — it isn't a food or drink.`
+            : `Nutrition data unavailable for ${productName || 'this product'}. Verified nutrition facts couldn't be confidently matched from trusted sources yet.`}
         </p>
       </Section>
     );