Discrepancy between packaging and MFP's information.

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sakirsha
sakirsha Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Went to enjoy myself a pack of sardines for lunch, peeked at the box and then at the results after adding the food to my plan, and there's a significant difference between what the package claims and the database's information.

Box:
Carbohydrates: <1g
Total fat: 17g
Protein: 14g

MFP Database:
Carbohydrates: 2g
Total fat: 12g
Protein: 18g

I could understand if perhaps they had the information on a different sized can, but these numbers go both up and down, so. Uh. What gives?

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Sardines can be packed in oil, water, tomato sauce etc so there's a range of values there, before considering other possible differences. Some of the data on MFP is just wrong, too.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Most of the database is user-entered. If you find something that seems wrong, you can edit the information yourself. (Click the blue "Nutritional Info" link under the name of the food, and where it says "Is this accurate?" click NO.) In some cases it would be because of different sized packaging, sometimes because the information changes over time and hasn't been updated, or sometimes it was just entered wrong to begin with. It's always good to check against the package if you have that available.
  • MindyG150
    MindyG150 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    My biggest pet-peeve with this site...But, I didn't know you could correct it...Thank you.
  • sakirsha
    sakirsha Posts: 2
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    Thanks for that =D Will be editing
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
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    Think that's bad, I scanned in a food one time and it came up totally different. It was doubled completely!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    You can enter one item and get about a thousand different results for it, all with differing calorie counts/macros, etc. I definitely look at the package and try to find the corresponding entry. Sometimes just "Sardines" won't do, because a particular brand will usually have bigger sardines or packed in a different way that would change the count.

    Another case in point is Subway Sandwiches. Now that Subway has a nutrition builder on its website, it is easier to find a closer value without having to create your own entry, but if you look up 6" subway melt, you will come back with some that have added details (w/ veggies, cheese, mayo) and some that just say "Subway Melt" and you would really have no idea what was on that person's version of the sandwich, so having actual calorie counts and macros from the website helps in this respect.

    Of course, all these are guesstimations, since the sandwich artist (Subway employee) can add extra olives, forget a piece of meat, sprinkle more cheese on the herbs & cheese bread than they typically do, etc.... so it's really just a guideline, and sometimes I over-estimate a little, like entering "1.2" servings of something instead of just "1"
  • MindyG150
    MindyG150 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Think that's bad, I scanned in a food one time and it came up totally different. It was doubled completely!

    YIKES, not good. Looks like you can change it according to the above post.
  • mrscruikshank
    mrscruikshank Posts: 26 Member
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    You have to remember to take in serving sizes as well. Something we think is a single serving package is often times two or more servings!
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
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    This happens, just edit the data, no biggie. This is a community effort, sometimes you gotta help the next guy/gal out by fixing minor issues.
  • polarsjewel
    polarsjewel Posts: 1,726 Member
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    Think that's bad, I scanned in a food one time and it came up totally different. It was doubled completely!

    YIKES, not good. Looks like you can change it according to the above post.

    Also - it may have been a different serving that was entered. You've gotta watch that!

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