Food Database
A food database is the library of nutritional information that a calorie app searches when you log a food. The size of this database is the most commonly cited marketing metric in the category. It is also one of the least useful metrics for evaluating an app.
Verified vs user-submitted
Verified databases source nutritional data from government agencies (USDA FoodData Central, Health Canada’s Canadian Nutrient File), independent research institutions, and regulated food manufacturer disclosures. The data is audited before entry.
User-submitted databases allow any user to add a food and its nutritional information. The data may or may not reflect the actual product. Multiple users submitting the same food under slightly different names — and with different numbers — creates a database full of duplicates with inconsistent values.
The 18% problem
Independent research measuring the accuracy of user-submitted calorie entries in major calorie apps found an average 18% error rate on calorie counts. On a 2,000 kcal/day tracking goal, an 18% error means:
- You log 2,000 kcal
- You actually consumed between 1,640 and 2,360 kcal
- Your deficit or surplus is off by 0–360 kcal per day
- Over 12 weeks of tracking, this is the difference between the result you expected and a completely different outcome
This error rate is not evenly distributed. Whole foods (banana, egg, chicken breast) are accurately represented in verified and user-submitted databases alike — the USDA entry is the dominant result, and it is correct. The error concentrates in branded packaged foods with multiple user-submitted duplicates.
How apps differ
| App | Database type | Approximate size | Error rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cronometer | Verified only (USDA, Health Canada) | ~400,000 entries | Minimal — every entry audited |
| MacroFactor | Verified + curated branded | ~2M entries | Low — team audits submissions |
| Lose It! | Mixed + moderated user submissions | ~7M entries | Moderate — moderation reduces worst outliers |
| MyFitnessPal | User-submitted, partially moderated | ~14M entries | ~18% average on user-submitted entries |
Why database size is a poor proxy for quality
MyFitnessPal has 14 million entries. Cronometer has 400,000. MyFitnessPal’s database is 35 times larger. Cronometer’s database produces more accurate calorie totals for the foods it covers.
For common whole foods, both apps are accurate. For branded packaged goods with multiple user submissions, Cronometer will often require you to search longer to find the right entry — but the entry you find will be correct. MyFitnessPal will autocomplete quickly to the most-used entry, which may have an error rate above the category average.
The right question is not “how many entries does this app have?” but “how accurate are the entries I will actually use?”
Related terms