Scientific sources
The right nutrition database for every country
For each country you work in, PappAI looks foods up in that country's official food composition database, when one exists and is available under a licence that allows its use.
- countries with a national source
- 13
- foods in national sources
- ~31,500
- countries in progress
- 5
01 · How it works
Automatic routing by country
When a meal plan or a logged meal looks up a food, PappAI checks your practice's country and queries that country's national database first. If the food isn't there, it moves on to the next sources: usually USDA FoodData Central, then Open Food Facts and hand-curated entries.
Try a country
- CREA 2019National database · ItalyFound
- USDA FoodData CentralReal-time search
- Open Food FactsMostly packaged products
- Entries curated by PappAIFoods checked by hand
Your practice's custom entries take priority and stay visible only to you.
Illustrative example: the real search collects results from the sources and ranks them by relevance.
02 · Current coverage
13 countries with an integrated national database
Each source enters PappAI only after its commercial-use licence has been checked. In some cases we hold an authorisation from the owning body.
BLS 4.0 · ~7,140 foodsCC BY 4.0
Fineli · ~4,051 foodsCC BY 4.0
CIQUAL 2020 · ~3,183 foodsEtalab 2.0, open licence
CoFID 2021 · ~2,886 foodsOpen Government Licence v3
Livsmedelsverket · ~2,575 foodsCC BY 4.0
NEVO 2025/9.0 · ~2,328 foodsCommercial use authorised
BEDCA v1.0 · ~2,214 foodsWritten authorisation for commercial use
Matvaretabellen · ~2,121 foodsNLOD 2.0
Frida 6.1 · ~1,390 foodsCC BY 4.0
naehrwertdaten.ch V7.0 · ~1,220 foodsCommercial use authorised
CREA 2019 · ~900 foodsItalian public research body
WHO EMRO + Lebanese University · 65 foodsDirect laboratory analyses (2021)In countries not yet listed, search still uses USDA FoodData Central, the Italian CREA table, Open Food Facts and hand-curated entries.
03 · In progress
The next countries
In these countries food search stays active on international sources while we add the dedicated national database.
- IEIreland
- JPJapan
- PLPoland
- CZCzech Republic
- ISIceland
Mandatory attributions shown in the app
ANSES/CIQUAL, Max Rubner-Institut/BLS, UKHSA/OGL v3, Mattilsynet/NLOD, THL/Fineli, Livsmedelsverket, FSVO/BLV (naehrwertdaten.ch), RIVM (NEVO), AESAN/BEDCA, WHO EMRO/Lebanese University, DTU (Frida), INSA (PortFIR).
Is your country not on the list?
Even without a dedicated national database, PappAI covers food search with reliable international sources.