Who verifies Nutritional Information?

dranobob
dranobob Posts: 1
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
So if anyone can add anything to the database, who verifies this? I don't think its a very good system if just anyone can add a food. What's stopping someone from making a mistake or even worse intentionally creating false information.

Replies

  • RatherBeInTheShire
    RatherBeInTheShire Posts: 561 Member
    I usually have the package right infront of me and verify before I use it anyway.. We are all here to lose weight. I doubt someone would make up false information.
  • SarahWrittenThin
    SarahWrittenThin Posts: 595 Member
    you need to either check it yourself and you can verify things are correct when you look at it. If it is verified by a lot of people I would trust it.
  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
    Yes its a flawed system but thats why you should always double check what you are adding. It really is worth that extra second as well cause then you can be more active when shopping as well for food. Also, a majority of people on MFP are here for the same reason and that is to be healthy. I doubt anyone would intentionally create a false food...
  • Angel1066
    Angel1066 Posts: 816 Member
    If you find the info is not correct you can edit the data also
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    The users of the site.

    Every time you are presented with nutritional information, you have an opportunity to verify or edit what you see. It's important to check because over time, manufacturers change ingredients and portion sizes, so sometimes what you see is outdated. Some foods have different nurtitional informations in other countries, too.
  • SusieB01
    SusieB01 Posts: 89
    You can verify it yourself!

    Seriously, I know what you mean, because I was thinking that way myself. However, I've been using the site a little while, and so far everything I've looked up has been correct as far as I can tell. But, you probably do want to be careful.

    .
  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
    So if anyone can add anything to the database, who verifies this? I don't think its a very good system if just anyone can add a food. What's stopping someone from making a mistake or even worse intentionally creating false information.
    There is nothing to prevent someone from making a mistake - I see plenty where people dont add the right number of calories or they dont understand SI units and therefore get mixed up between grams or miligrams etc.

    I also add plenty. And when I add foods or correct wrong information I have the packaging in front of me and take my information from there.
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
    For the most part, I find information fairly accurate in the database. The downside, however, is that not everyone is concerned with ALL the values so may not add things like sugar, sodium, vitamin A, C, iron etc. I usually verify everything online or from the package itself.
  • Aprilstar480
    Aprilstar480 Posts: 2,803 Member
    A week or so into this I noticed the little stars by the foods and realized those items are added by other members. The ones without the stars are submitted by MFP so I would assume those ones are closer to accurate.
  • Becca_007
    Becca_007 Posts: 596 Member
    I highly doubt anyone is spending their day intentionally creating misinformation on MFP's database. We input info and as packaging changes it's edited as needed. It would be nice to have a tutorial of some type for those that are unfamiliar with food labels. The age to use MFP maybe 18 but the 8-18 year olds don't necessarily know how to read the label and input data. Well, not saying members over 18 do at times either. :noway: :laugh:

    But I do know when I was 9-10 years old I sure wasn't reading the side of a cereal box unless it had jokes on it or a puzzle, I was diggin for the prize inside.:tongue:

    If you see an issue you're welcome to edit it on the database though keep in mind there are Countries from all over the World using MFP so the values vary greatly, and may not all be written by those in the US.

    Seems there is far too many members on the site to have someone be able to actually sit and recheck over everyone's input. Really it's not that hard to glance through find one that works for you and use that. If you don't see a correct one according to your pkg., simply edit to meet the new packaging.

    SO many threads on this recently, it's simply not worth getting upset over, it's such a blip over the whole over all experience on MFP. This is a wonderful site with so many great features, we're human and it's likely each of make mistakes at some point in our lives. I know I have.:wink::flowerforyou:
  • vsyates
    vsyates Posts: 373 Member
    I verify everything on the package before accepting the values from the database. I've only ever found one thing that was inaccurate.
  • TiDinzeo
    TiDinzeo Posts: 309
    Most of the time I have the packaging in front of me. When I do, I check before I add food and if it's wrong, I edit to make sure it's right.
  • Becca_007
    Becca_007 Posts: 596 Member
    A week or so into this I noticed the little stars by the foods and realized those items are added by other members. The ones without the stars are submitted by MFP so I would assume those ones are closer to accurate.
    Keeping in mind these added by MFP are sometimes older entries from when the site began some years back. Packaging has changed a great deal. It's something to think about. :flowerforyou: I don't know that Mike has the time to have updated ALL the foods that were input from 2007 this year. I could be mistaken but can't imagine He has that kind of time. I still double check my labels against the database asterisk or no asterisk.

    For whatever reason I don't seem to have many issues in the database, sure I've come across a few things now and again I've needed to edit but once they are added to my foods I know longer need to worry about it.
  • Whisker58
    Whisker58 Posts: 11
    I highly doubt anyone is spending their day intentionally creating misinformation on MFP's database. We input info and as packaging changes it's edited as needed. It would be nice to have a tutorial of some type for those that are unfamiliar with food labels. The age to use MFP maybe 18 but the 8-18 year olds don't necessarily know how to read the label and input data. Well, not saying members over 18 do at times either. :noway: :laugh:

    But I do know when I was 9-10 years old I sure wasn't reading the side of a cereal box unless it had jokes on it or a puzzle, I was diggin for the prize inside.:tongue:

    If you see an issue you're welcome to edit it on the database though keep in mind there are Countries from all over the World using MFP so the values vary greatly, and may not all be written by those in the US.

    Seems there is far too many members on the site to have someone be able to actually sit and recheck over everyone's input. Really it's not that hard to glance through find one that works for you and use that. If you don't see a correct one according to your pkg., simply edit to meet the new packaging.

    SO many threads on this recently, it's simply not worth getting upset over, it's such a blip over the whole over all experience on MFP. This is a wonderful site with so many great features, we're human and it's likely each of make mistakes at some point in our lives. I know I have.:wink::flowerforyou:
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
    I've checked several that came up matching mine and to date, I've not ever found any of them to be incorrect ... as long as I make sure I am selecting the exact same item. The only problem I've run across is thinking what I found is what is in my hand, when even the slightest difference can make the values of everything be off.
  • SixCatFaerie
    SixCatFaerie Posts: 690 Member
    I highly doubt anyone is spending their day intentionally creating misinformation on MFP's database. We input info and as packaging changes it's edited as needed. It would be nice to have a tutorial of some type for those that are unfamiliar with food labels. The age to use MFP maybe 18 but the 8-18 year olds don't necessarily know how to read the label and input data. Well, not saying members over 18 do at times either. :noway: :laugh:

    But I do know when I was 9-10 years old I sure wasn't reading the side of a cereal box unless it had jokes on it or a puzzle, I was diggin for the prize inside.:tongue:

    If you see an issue you're welcome to edit it on the database though keep in mind there are Countries from all over the World using MFP so the values vary greatly, and may not all be written by those in the US.

    Seems there is far too many members on the site to have someone be able to actually sit and recheck over everyone's input. Really it's not that hard to glance through find one that works for you and use that. If you don't see a correct one according to your pkg., simply edit to meet the new packaging.

    SO many threads on this recently, it's simply not worth getting upset over, it's such a blip over the whole over all experience on MFP. This is a wonderful site with so many great features, we're human and it's likely each of make mistakes at some point in our lives. I know I have.:wink::flowerforyou:

    Couldn't have said it better myself! Thank you!!! :bigsmile:

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