Help regarding USDA Food List and MFP Data Base

Catawampous
Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys!

I'm running across a problem using the USDA Food List and MFP Database. I have a couple of questions regarding these if you don't mind.

First - where do the numbers come from on the USDA Food List? Does the USDA put those numbers in? Or do they come from other sources? I often see things like "Perdue and Dole" in there. Please tell me users of the list can't add things? I didn't see anywhere you could but I am just double checking.

Second - with regards to the MFP Database, what are the "*" and "#" signs for? Example: Ref:05674.usda.r28 - *#chicken, Skin (Drumsticks and Thighs), Raw., 100 g I'm a bit lost as to what that means, if anything. I did double check the nutritional stats for this with the food list and they were correct.

I'm trying to be accurate as possible and really want to avoid using bad entries.

Thank you!

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Trust USDA list over MFP

    Do not trust any MFP entry without double checking against USDA database, other databases, pack info

    MFP entries are user entered a load of them are wrong,the symbols mean nothing, the big green tick means nothing
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    God uses the USDA database. We are certainly able to use the values in the USDA database as a resource to edit and change the MFP database. If you find that every number in the MFP database is rounded to the nearest whole number from every number in the USDA database, you can be confident that the MFP database is as good as it can be for that entry only. However, if you transfer the A, C, Calcium, and Iron values directly from the USDA Database to the MFP database without converting them to appropriate RDA percentage values, you err. Moreover, IF YOU PUT FORTH THE EFFORT to convert the USDA values of A, C, Calcium and Iron to RDA values, please please please use the RDA of Iron for fertile women.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
    Ok cool. Thank you. This helps :)
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    To go direct to the horse's mouth, go to https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

    You can limit the results on searching that database to just the actual USDA numbers by clicking "standard reference" in the "Select Source" box.

    If you want to make finding the USDA information in MFP easier, search the actual USDA and then use the record number there to search MFP. For example, searching the MFP database for "05034" brings up the record for "Usda - 05034, Chicken, Broilers or Fryers, Dark Meat, Meat and Skin, Raw"
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    You also asked where the USDA data comes from. Here's the answer from the USDA:

    "Data have been compiled from published and unpublished sources. Published data
    sources include the scientific literature. Unpublished data include those obtained from
    the food industry, other government agencies, and research conducted under contracts
    initiated by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). These contract analyses are
    currently conducted under NFNAP, in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute
    (NCI) and other offices and institutes of the National Institutes of Health (Haytowitz et
    al., 2008), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug
    Administration."
This discussion has been closed.

Categories