Scanning Food Barcodes

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geminigarcia199017
geminigarcia199017 Posts: 529 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When I scan any food barcodes why it sometimes does not give me the right nutrition information or it says no information found,why is it. Instead I have to type the food in the search a food section on top. I try to be as accurate as possible.

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  • Redbeard333
    Redbeard333 Posts: 381 Member
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    Meh, sometimes the food just isn't in the database. This will happen to me every now and then at Whole Foods, so I'll find the most similar item, or just get something different it does have the info for.
  • ktilton70130
    ktilton70130 Posts: 211 Member
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    great question, but like you guys i simply choose the the best similar item to get as accurate as possible
  • jacqueline0821
    jacqueline0821 Posts: 667 Member
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    The database is amazing but not perfect and doesn't have every single food in it. Just have to search for it.
  • Bronty3
    Bronty3 Posts: 104 Member
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    If it's wrong, or not in the database, then I just create my own entry with the correct information and use that. It stores under My Foods and is always there when I need it.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    The barcode number on a food package does not contain nutrition information or any other information beyond the barcode number, it is just a universal product code (UPC) number registered to the manufacturer or distributor.

    If a barcode number search returns an associated MFP Food Database record, all of the macro- and micronutrient information associated with that barcode number was entered into the MFP Food Database by other MFP users or staff from the Nutrition Facts label printed on that package; then a user associated that UPC number with a MFP Food Database record.

    If a MFP user has not entered any information into the Food Database, or has not associated that barcode number with a Food Database record, the barcode scanning search will not find anything.

    The UPC number can be associated with the wrong MFP Food Database record; the MFP Food Database record could be inaccurate; the manufacturer could have updated the food ingredients and the printed nutrition information but no one has corrected the associated Food Database record yet; or in some cases the food product has regional differences and the nutrition information printed on the package differs but the manufacturer just uses the exact same barcode number on those different regional products.

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