Note: All scientific research, studies, and expert insights mentioned throughout this article are fully referenced at the end, allowing you to explore the evidence behind each claim in more detail.View References
When it comes to tracking your nutrition accurately, the quality and reliability of the food database you're using makes all the difference. At Mofilo, we've built our nutrition tracking platform on the foundation of trusted, scientific food data sources to ensure you get the most accurate information possible.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Data Central serves as the primary backbone of Mofilo's food database. We specifically use the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), which sources data from the USDA Foundation Foods and Standard Reference Legacy databases, along with the USDA Branded Food Products Database.
These databases provide:
The USDA's rigorous scientific standards ensure that the nutritional values you see in Mofilo are backed by laboratory analysis and scientific research, giving you confidence in the accuracy of your tracking.
Why we use it: We choose the USDA database because it's considered the gold standard for nutrition data, with rigorous laboratory testing protocols, regular scientifically verified updates, and exceptional depth of nutritional information beyond basic macronutrients.
To better serve our users in Canada and provide more comprehensive coverage, Mofilo also incorporates the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF). The CNF is Health Canada's official repository of food composition data, containing the nutrient values of foods commonly consumed in Canada.
The CNF includes:
By including the CNF, we ensure that Canadian users can easily find and track foods common in their region with accurate nutritional information that reflects local standards and regulations.
Why we use it: The CNF accounts for Canadian-specific food fortification standards that differ from the US, includes regional food products popular in Canada, provides bilingual food descriptions for our French-speaking Canadian users, and offers more accurate nutrition information for foods manufactured specifically for the Canadian market.
To complement the government-maintained databases, Mofilo also integrates data from Open Food Facts, a collaborative, open-data initiative that provides nutrition information for a wide range of products. This source helps us fill gaps in the official databases and provides:
Each entry from Open Food Facts undergoes a verification process before being added to our database, ensuring that even these supplementary listings maintain a high standard of accuracy.
Why we use it: Open Food Facts helps fill gaps with emerging food products that haven't yet been analyzed by government databases, provides broader international coverage for users outside North America, and adds new products faster than government databases, allowing us to offer comprehensive nutrition data for specialty diet products and international foods.
By combining these three trusted sources, Mofilo offers several distinct advantages for nutrition tracking:
Broader Food Selection: Access to more than 800,000 food items, including generic foods, branded products, restaurant meals, and specialty items.
Cross-Verified Data: Where foods appear in multiple databases, we can cross-reference nutritional values to ensure greater accuracy.
Regional Relevance: Better coverage of foods specific to different regions, making tracking more relevant to your actual diet.
Detailed Nutrient Profiles: Beyond basic macronutrients, our database includes detailed information on vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients when available.
Can't find a specific food in our database? No problem! Mofilo allows you to add and save your own custom foods.
This feature is especially useful for:
When you add a custom food, you can specify all the nutritional information important to you, and it will be saved in your personal database for future use. You can even set these foods as favorites for quick access.
By combining our comprehensive database with the ability to add your own foods, Mofilo provides both accuracy and flexibility to meet your unique nutritional tracking needs.
As of this publication, we do not have immediate plans to add more databases to our system. However, we are committed to expanding our food database in the near future to include more international food sources. Some potential upcoming additions we're evaluating include:
These potential additions would further enhance our global coverage, making Mofilo an even more valuable tool for users around the world. Our ultimate goal remains ensuring that no matter where you live, you can easily find and track the foods that make up your daily diet with accurate nutritional information.
We'll announce any database expansions through our regular app updates and newsletter, so you'll always know when new food data becomes available.
Nutrition data is only valuable if it's accurate. At Mofilo, we maintain the quality of our food database through:
Regular Updates: We synchronize with our source databases either quarterly or yearly, depending on when new releases become available. This ensures we have the latest nutritional information from each source.
Transparency: We clearly indicate the source of nutritional information for each food entry, so you know where the data comes from.
Having access to such a comprehensive food database means you can:
At Mofilo, we believe that accurate nutrition tracking starts with reliable data. By building our food database on trusted sources like the USDA Food Data Central, Canadian Nutrient File, and verified Open Food Facts entries, we provide you with the most comprehensive and accurate nutrition information available.
As we continue to expand our database to include more international food sources, our commitment remains the same: to help you easily find and track the foods you eat, no matter where you live, with confidence in the accuracy of the nutritional information.
Start tracking with Mofilo today and experience the difference that a comprehensive, accurate food database makes in your nutrition journey.
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[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2023). FoodData Central. USDA.
[2] Health Canada. (2024). Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) - Search by food. Canadian Nutrient File.
[3] Open Food Facts. (2022). World database of food products. Open Food Facts.
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