Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29962361›Full record

ArticlePublic health nutrition2019

Food identification by barcode scanning in the Netherlands: a quality assessment of labelled food product databases underlying popular nutrition applications.

Marcus Maringer, Nancy Wisse-Voorwinden, Pieter van 't Veer, Anouk Geelen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Public health nutrition, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Marcus MaringerDivision of Human Nutrition,Wageningen University & Research,Stippeneng 4,6708 WE Wageningen,The Netherlands.
Nancy Wisse-VoorwindenDivision of Human Nutrition,Wageningen University & Research,Stippeneng 4,6708 WE Wageningen,The Netherlands.
Pieter van 't VeerDivision of Human Nutrition,Wageningen University & Research,Stippeneng 4,6708 WE Wageningen,The Netherlands.
Anouk GeelenDivision of Human Nutrition,Wageningen University & Research,Stippeneng 4,6708 WE Wageningen,The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe quality of labelled food product databases underlying popular diet applications (apps) with barcode scanners was investigated.

designProduct identification rates for the scanned products and the availability and accuracy of nutrient values were calculated.

settingOne hundred food products were selected from the two largest supermarket chains in the Netherlands. Using the barcode scanners of the selected apps, the products were scanned and the results recorded as food diary entries. The collected data were exported. SUBJECTS: Seven diet apps with barcode scanner and food recording feature were selected from the Google Play and Apple app stores.

resultsEnergy values were available for 99 % of the scanned products, of which on average 79 % deviated not more than 5 % from the true value. MyFitnessPal provided values for sixteen nutrients, while Virtuagym Food and Yazio provided values for only four nutrients. MyFitnessPal also showed the largest percentage of correctly identified products (i.e. 96 %) and SparkPeople the smallest (i.e. 5 %). The accuracy of the provided nutrient values varied greatly between apps and nutrients.

conclusionsWhile energy was the most consistently and accurately reported value, the availability and accuracy of other values varied greatly between apps. Whereas popular diet apps with barcode scanners might be valuable tools for dietary assessments on the product and energy level, they appear less suitable for assessments on the nutrient level. The presence of user-generated database entries implies that the availability of food products might vary depending on the size and diversity of an app's user base.

Indexed as

Databases, FactualFood LabelingMobile ApplicationsNutritive ValueHumansNetherlandsBarcodesBarcode scanningDiet appsDietary intake assessmentFood databaseFood identificationLabelled food productsTechnological innovations

Identifiers

PMID29962361
PMCPMC10260744

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.