Why do people put incorrect nutrition facts in the database?

kimbelle_vie
kimbelle_vie Posts: 174 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
I don't understand this, why would you want to put numbers incorrectly? :|
«1

Replies

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
    I doubt they do it on purpose.

    Some products are wrong because they change the specifics or there are many similar ones and you just have the wrong one.

    Some entries are recipes that people (wrongly, IMO) made public without being clear about what it is.

    Others may well be wishful thinking or taken from a terrible source, I dunno.
  • Unknown
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  • tillyburg490
    tillyburg490 Posts: 2 Member
    You really have to watch the data base. I've notice several incorrect items.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    I do think some people do it on purpose. Why they fill out the first stuff but leave the Vit A, Vit C, Calcium or Iron blank (I'm talking foods that have %'s of said vitamins) I just corrected one the other day. They skipped out on the Vit. C and Iron.

    Check and double check the nutrition info. I find many incorrect items. I'm also a changer of cups/tbsp/tsp's to grams person. I've corrected mannnnyyyy of those. :wink:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    tillyburg490 wrote: »
    You really have to watch the data base. I've notice several incorrect items.

    Here's a good thread......

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

  • kimbelle_vie
    kimbelle_vie Posts: 174 Member
    For example today I was looking up little Debbie oatmeal cake ( don't judge ;) ) and there was two that had same title and the nutritional info was similar, except for the sodium. One was 300 and the other 170??
  • kimbelle_vie
    kimbelle_vie Posts: 174 Member
    Tinabob777 wrote: »
    Second post today that I've seen for an oatmeal cake! I think the universe is speaking to me......

    Ok, now you can all go back to the actual topic of this thread!

    Anything little Debbie is yummmmm!!! :p
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Besides some of the produce and meat entries I've used for years now I make my own entries these days (and don't share them). I make sure to include things like potassium and convert the serving sizes to 100g. It's a lot faster than trying to search the database (why is there no sort options?!) and checking entries to make sure they're complete -- plus the added convenience of having everything in 100g measurements.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Besides some of the produce and meat entries I've used for years now I make my own entries these days (and don't share them). I make sure to include things like potassium and convert the serving sizes to 100g. It's a lot faster than trying to search the database (why is there no sort options?!) and checking entries to make sure they're complete -- plus the added convenience of having everything in 100g measurements.

    I've added several myself and don't share them either. I prefer using grams instead of '1/2 cup' or '1 tbsp' ... Sometimes I eat more or less of the serving so grams is simply easier.
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
    edited March 2015
    81Katz wrote: »
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Besides some of the produce and meat entries I've used for years now I make my own entries these days (and don't share them). I make sure to include things like potassium and convert the serving sizes to 100g. It's a lot faster than trying to search the database (why is there no sort options?!) and checking entries to make sure they're complete -- plus the added convenience of having everything in 100g measurements.

    I've added several myself and don't share them either. I prefer using grams instead of '1/2 cup' or '1 tbsp' ... Sometimes I eat more or less of the serving so grams is simply easier.

    ... if you have a food scale with you at all times. For food I don't make myself, I know that my entry is going to be inaccurate because I can't measure it. Knowing that, I far prefer database entries in volume rather than weight. I can guestimate volume like one cup to within 20% but I'm absolutely hopeless at guesstimating weight. I'm typically off by 200% or more.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    peter56765 wrote: »
    81Katz wrote: »
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Besides some of the produce and meat entries I've used for years now I make my own entries these days (and don't share them). I make sure to include things like potassium and convert the serving sizes to 100g. It's a lot faster than trying to search the database (why is there no sort options?!) and checking entries to make sure they're complete -- plus the added convenience of having everything in 100g measurements.

    I've added several myself and don't share them either. I prefer using grams instead of '1/2 cup' or '1 tbsp' ... Sometimes I eat more or less of the serving so grams is simply easier.

    ... if you have a food scale with you at all times. For food I don't make myself, I know that my entry is going to be inaccurate because I can't measure it. Knowing that, I far prefer database entries in volume rather than weight. I can guestimate volume like one cup to within 20% but I'm absolutely hopeless at guesstimating weight. I'm typically off by 200% or more.

    Ones that I have edited, I put the cups, tbsp's, tsp's etc. amount behind the grams. It gives people who do not weigh food at least an idea of what the portion serving is claiming to be. For example, my store bought frozen broccoli is 85g but they list that as 1/2 cup. I still measure to 85g exactly, others can still use a measuring cup. Hope that made sense!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2015
    kimbelle_vie wrote: »
    For example today I was looking up little Debbie oatmeal cake ( don't judge ;) ) and there was two that had same title and the nutritional info was similar, except for the sodium. One was 300 and the other 170??

    Re: Oatmeal Cakes - are these the sandwich thingies? They come in 2 sizes. It's possible both of these are correct.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    kimbelle_vie wrote: »
    Tinabob777 wrote: »
    Second post today that I've seen for an oatmeal cake! I think the universe is speaking to me......

    Ok, now you can all go back to the actual topic of this thread!

    Anything little Debbie is yummmmm!!! :p

    I used to eat tons of those things.. all of them. But I cut way back, and now they taste sort of chemical/waxy to me.
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
    I myself have to check every entry. Fat times 9 plus protein times 4 plus carb times 4 to make sure the calories are correct. Lucky for me, I am an accountant
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I think that for some products, the formulation might have changed, changing the calorie count. I know that for the cottage cheese I used to eat there were 2 different calorie counts, both with confirmed entries, but only the more recent one matched the product label.

    There's another case of a bean pasta which I use that has a completely different way of labeling their product for sale in Australia than it does here in the States. It was almost impossible to find a data base entry matching the package label.

    Saying that, I verify everything with either the package or an independent web site before I enter it into my diary.
  • mynameisoliverqueen
    mynameisoliverqueen Posts: 63 Member
    Just like Silver Spoon white granulated sugar only has 1g sugars per 5g!
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    Some products also have the same names, but different info in different countries. They may include ingredients in the US that are banned in Canada or the UK, and those ingredients alter the nutritional info.

    Some people are just lazy, too. If all they care about is calories, they don't bother entering half the info.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    kimbelle_vie wrote: »
    For example today I was looking up little Debbie oatmeal cake ( don't judge ;) ) and there was two that had same title and the nutritional info was similar, except for the sodium. One was 300 and the other 170??

    Re: Oatmeal Cakes - are these the sandwich thingies? They come in 2 sizes. It's possible both of these are correct.

    Also, nutrition labels can (and do) vary from country to country.
    Not everyone on MFP is from the US.

    I would assume that UK Kraft Mac & Cheese would have different nutritional info than the US version since they use different ingredients.
  • Whittedo
    Whittedo Posts: 352 Member
    kimbelle_vie wrote: »
    For example today I was looking up little Debbie oatmeal cake ( don't judge ;) ) and there was two that had same title and the nutritional info was similar, except for the sodium. One was 300 and the other 170??

    Who is Little Debbie and why are you stealing her dessert?

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    peter56765 wrote: »
    81Katz wrote: »
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Besides some of the produce and meat entries I've used for years now I make my own entries these days (and don't share them). I make sure to include things like potassium and convert the serving sizes to 100g. It's a lot faster than trying to search the database (why is there no sort options?!) and checking entries to make sure they're complete -- plus the added convenience of having everything in 100g measurements.

    I've added several myself and don't share them either. I prefer using grams instead of '1/2 cup' or '1 tbsp' ... Sometimes I eat more or less of the serving so grams is simply easier.

    ... if you have a food scale with you at all times. For food I don't make myself, I know that my entry is going to be inaccurate because I can't measure it. Knowing that, I far prefer database entries in volume rather than weight. I can guestimate volume like one cup to within 20% but I'm absolutely hopeless at guesstimating weight. I'm typically off by 200% or more.

    I agree with you there, I like those volume entries for when I have to estimate (although I'm still probably way off because I keep thinking a cup is bigger than what it really is).

    I laughed yesterday, logged some ice cream using someone's entry and it showed up as 0 calories for 20g. Really?
  • Whittedo
    Whittedo Posts: 352 Member
    I just found one today that stated there is no sugar in Maple Syrup.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    Whittedo wrote: »
    I just found one today that stated there is no sugar in Maple Syrup.

    I had no fat listed for roasted veggies before...
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I doubt they do it on purpose.

    Some products are wrong because they change the specifics or there are many similar ones and you just have the wrong one.

    Some entries are recipes that people (wrongly, IMO) made public without being clear about what it is.

    Others may well be wishful thinking or taken from a terrible source, I dunno.

    This as well as some products are available in multiple countries and the ingredients and nutrition facts may be different from country to country. An example until last year Oreos in the UK were a different recipe to the US ones

    Also people just make mistakes. One of the biggest one I see is sodium when people do not convert it from grams to mg.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    I just did it by accident a few minutes ago. The second I hit enter, I said, "oops". I don't know how to fix it! Is there a way to edit something you added to the database?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Whittedo wrote: »
    I just found one today that stated there is no sugar in Maple Syrup.

    Don't you love these? I found low fat peanuts!
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    LastMinuteMama wrote: »
    I just did it by accident a few minutes ago. The second I hit enter, I said, "oops". I don't know how to fix it! Is there a way to edit something you added to the database?

    If you go to 'my foods' and look for your entry there and you should be able to edit.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    Thanks 81Katz! It's all fixed!
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I've been craving oatmeal desserts since eating Girl Scouts Do Si Dos for the first time. I've just been very lazy in actually looking for or making something. Little Debbie just might have to do. :wink:

    I'll usually look at Wal Mart's website to double check on items. I was recently entering a new recipe and saw that someone entered a serving of seasoning as 23 grams instead of 2.whatever it is. Everything else was correct, so I didn't bother looking for another entry. My next dinner idea is listed as having 168 grams of seasoning.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    Aldi must use different bakeries around the country because I had a friend who would log bread that had different numbers than mine and we both checked our packages. So that's a possibility as well.

    I was using an entry that was incorrect and when I went to correct it, I noticed that it had been put in the system in 2012. Formulas change.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    barbecuesauce wrote: »
    Aldi must use different bakeries around the country because I had a friend who would log bread that had different numbers than mine and we both checked our packages. So that's a possibility as well.

    I was using an entry that was incorrect and when I went to correct it, I noticed that it had been put in the system in 2012. Formulas change.

    I've noticed the same thing with Trader Joe's, some entries were pretty different from mine but had several confirmations. It's odd.
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