Be Careful When Using The Database

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  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
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    Do you mean the scanner on MFP as the scanner scans the barcode then searches for the product in the database that other people have entered. The database is made up of entries from people.
  • Annahbananas
    Annahbananas Posts: 284 Member
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    I guess I got lucky..I hadn't run into that since February
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    Annahbananas wrote: »
    I guess I got lucky..I hadn't run into that since February

    They tend to be pretty accurate, since the people inputting them literally have the product label right in front of them, but I've still caught some transcription errors, or missing data.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    Annahbananas wrote: »
    If you use the scanner icon in the food lists, this will activate your camera. This will grab the UPC code of the food in your hand and will give you the exact food nutritional content.

    I always use this. Just take your phone or tablet to the grocery score and scan the foods u want.

    This is how I do it. This way you don't grab a user inputed information. I've been doing this every time since I started and always got accurate readings

    I get wrong ones all the time. Can't scan a barcode without also checking the result against the label.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    Annahbananas wrote: »
    If you use the scanner icon in the food lists, this will activate your camera. This will grab the UPC code of the food in your hand and will give you the exact food nutritional content.

    I always use this. Just take your phone or tablet to the grocery score and scan the foods u want.

    This is how I do it. This way you don't grab a user inputed information. I've been doing this every time since I started and always got accurate readings

    I get wrong ones all the time. Can't scan a barcode without also checking the result against the label.

    I do as well. Some people only focus on their macronutrients so they'll put in those but leave out sodium, potassium, and fiber. I may not be monitoring those micronutrients carefully, but I still want a complete nutrition breakdown for my items when provided.
  • christareid28
    christareid28 Posts: 47 Member
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    Always good idea to check it out
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Annahbananas wrote: »
    If you use the scanner icon in the food lists, this will activate your camera. This will grab the UPC code of the food in your hand and will give you the exact food nutritional content.

    I always use this. Just take your phone or tablet to the grocery score and scan the foods u want.

    This is how I do it. This way you don't grab a user inputed information. I've been doing this every time since I started and always got accurate readings

    even a lot of those entries are incorrect.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited July 2016
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    MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
    Annahbananas wrote: »
    I guess I got lucky..I hadn't run into that since February

    They tend to be pretty accurate, since the people inputting them literally have the product label right in front of them, but I've still caught some transcription errors, or missing data.

    I am in Canada. I frequently run into UPC codes that are totally different than the product I have. I have learned from here it could be an issue with different countries.

    I have also learned that some products available in US and Canada can still have different nutritional profiles.

    And like someone mentioned, even products end up with different nutritional profiles.

    I have also run into an issue where serving sizes on labels have changed. Oatmeal is one.

    So some entries can have legit reasons for being incorrect.

    Bottomline, always crosscheck with the label. Or create your own entries.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,718 Member
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    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    And like someone mentioned, even products end up with different nutritional profiles.
    I have also run into an issue where serving sizes on labels have changed. Oatmeal is one.
    So some entries can have legit reasons for being incorrect.
    Bottomline, always crosscheck with the label. Or create your own entries.

    Part of the problem may also be people who have created a custom entry for themselves based on incomplete information.

    Pam cooking spray is NOT zero calories no matter what it claims. Neither is Mrs Dash. Nor is yellow mustard.

    Quest bars are reported on the label net of fiber. Depending on the formula some of that fiber is actually digestible to 2+ Cal per gram and some at 1+ Cal per gram. If you're talking 30g... that adds up. Then add up a 10% overage on the bar and you have a 240 Cal quest bar.

    And of course different countries have different labels and the same product may have different formulations in different countries.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    And like someone mentioned, even products end up with different nutritional profiles.
    I have also run into an issue where serving sizes on labels have changed. Oatmeal is one.
    So some entries can have legit reasons for being incorrect.
    Bottomline, always crosscheck with the label. Or create your own entries.

    Part of the problem may also be people who have created a custom entry for themselves based on incomplete information.

    Pam cooking spray is NOT zero calories no matter what it claims. Neither is Mrs Dash. Nor is yellow mustard.

    Quest bars are reported on the label net of fiber. Depending on the formula some of that fiber is actually digestible to 2+ Cal per gram and some at 1+ Cal per gram. If you're talking 30g... that adds up. Then add up a 10% overage on the bar and you have a 240 Cal quest bar.

    And of course different countries have different labels and the same product may have different formulations in different countries.

    I didnt mean these were the only reasons. Just these are reasons where the information may actually be correct for some but not others.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Diogenes spent his lifetime looking for an accurate database entry.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    SCoil123 wrote: »
    Don't trust labels 100% either. Legally they can be up to 15% off on total calories per serving. A nutritionist warned me of this when helping me find a good protein shake and I believe it to be true.

    It's actually 20 percent and it's per serving size. So if something has two servings, it could be up to 40 percent more in terms of calories. But if you weigh everything then that's not an issue.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    Colorscheme wrote: »
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    Don't trust labels 100% either. Legally they can be up to 15% off on total calories per serving. A nutritionist warned me of this when helping me find a good protein shake and I believe it to be true.

    It's actually 20 percent and it's per serving size. So if something has two servings, it could be up to 40 percent more in terms of calories. But if you weigh everything then that's not an issue.

    First part is right, but the number of servings is irrelevant. It's a constant %, so it doesn't change with quantity.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
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    i use the bar code as much as i can
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Yup. Inaccurate entries is the one downside to MFP's database, and when I could die by using an inaccurate entry (I'm diabetic and take insulin based off how many carbs I consume, which I calculate through MFP. Being of by 20g of carbs is enough to possibly kill me from hypoglycemia), verifying entries with other resources (food label, USDA, etc.) is critical.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    edited July 2016
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    raven56706 wrote: »
    i use the bar code as much as i can

    When you scan the barcode, MFP searches the database for the entry which someone else has entered. So using the barcode means you're using the database.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited July 2016
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    Annahbananas wrote: »
    If you use the scanner icon in the food lists, this will activate your camera. This will grab the UPC code of the food in your hand and will give you the exact food nutritional content.

    I always use this. Just take your phone or tablet to the grocery score and scan the foods u want.

    This is how I do it. This way you don't grab a user inputed information. I've been doing this every time since I started and always got accurate readings

    I get wrong ones all the time. Can't scan a barcode without also checking the result against the label.

    Yeah, and I've also found that when I use the barcode, even if the nutritional information is correct, more often than not it brings up an entry that doesn't have the option for grams. Since I weigh everything I eat, it's useless to me.
  • weali
    weali Posts: 37 Member
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    I always get frustrated trying to find an entry that has ounces...why the heck would a FOOD item (grapes, lettuce, etc) have fluid ounces listed...last I checked fluid ounces were only to be used with things that are you know fluid and drinkable...
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
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    I've noticed that the biggest discrepencies tend to be in sodium levels. The most obvious problem is that people putting values in are putting the number in for salt, rather than just sodium. The other one, which makes a massive difference, is people's inability to convert from g to mg. I'm finding sodium levels to be a factor of 1000 or even 10 or 100 out.

    Thankfully, I'm not bothered about strictly monitoring my sodium intake, but it would be problematic for people who do want or need to.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
    Annahbananas wrote: »
    If you use the scanner icon in the food lists, this will activate your camera. This will grab the UPC code of the food in your hand and will give you the exact food nutritional content.

    I always use this. Just take your phone or tablet to the grocery score and scan the foods u want.

    This is how I do it. This way you don't grab a user inputed information. I've been doing this every time since I started and always got accurate readings

    It can still be user inputted, though. If you scan something MFP doesn't recognize, it gives you the option to add it to the database manually, and then links your entry with the UPC code. I've done it several times.

    Or it comes up with something completely different.

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