Barcode Scanning for International Food Databases

At the moment, logging food via barcode scanning is only supported for the US food database. I would like the option of food scanning for international food databases as well with nutrition facts.

 

 

Moderator edit: Labels

Derrick | Retired Moderator, Fitbit

290 Comments
Toby90
Jogger

Come on fit bit!

 

I bought the charge 2 and I love it but why the hell is it possible to change the database to australia when it dosn´t at all and when I can´t add any barcodes. 

 

I mean thats a lot of work but I would do it to make it easyer for me to use. Don´t use to change to myfittnesspal. This one got an eccelent food database. It couldnt be that hard to add that feature. 

Svend_Dellepude
First Steps

Yes, we need a Danish food database

xezt
First Steps

+1 for this. Can't believe so many people have been asking for so long and nothing has happened. No comminunication with the community, nothing. Limits the ability of the Fitbit as a health/fitness product if you live outside the US.

blenderfox
First Steps

Fitbit's response: 凸(¬‿¬)

CheekyChicken
First Steps
Really thought this would be up and running by now. Very tempting to go back to using MyFitnessPal.
HairyFred
Jogger
We need more votes and for fitbit to care.
Mariesdutoit
Jogger

How many more votes are needed???? Surely if you have your product in a country should you not offer the full range of services to clients? The products are not cheap - and yet we cannot use it to its full capcity.

 

I tweeted this and the response I got from FitbitSupport was " Though the process takes quite some time for review, rest assured that we continue to review on this suggestion. The thread will be automatically update[sic] once there are news about the feature. We appreciate your patience." 

 

This tread was started on 06-08-2015 - It is more than a year and people are still asking for this feature to be activated in other countries like South Africa. How much time do they need? 

HairyFred
Jogger
Given the amount of time this post has been running I'm assuming fitbit don't want to add this functionality in.
We need to keep going at it but feels slightly pointless.
HairyFred
Jogger
Oddly though when I go to the main forum list this topic doesn't show up.
Duffah
Recovery Runner

I'm pretty sure MFP have some sort of monopoly on the database, since even if you choose a UA device, and use the UA tracking software, you STILL have to use MFP for barcode scanning, even though they are part of UA!

 

JamesIonic
Base Runner
It's been a long time. Really need this feature up and running internationally.
happytoon
Base Runner

Agreed, barcode for food logging is essential.

 

I can find most of my food by name, but not by barcode (UK food DB).

Can you please add a "add Barcode" button in the detailed view of the food, in your appS, so that when I find my food by name, I can check the detailed nutrition against the product label and simply scan the bar code (bush the button). The app shoudl then  add the barcode information to the database record...

 

This way, your users, me included, will contribute free of charge to improving the quality of the database by adding barcode info at the push of a button...

This is the way MFP developed their food database, with the contribution of their users community!

 

Please Fitbit, implement this asap on all your apps (including the excellent Windows 10 Mobile, please!).

 

Tony.

KuraiandAlbel
First Steps

As someone who is living in Canada and a lot of the food I consume does not have barcode recognition, it would save a lot of time to record the food I eat. I love the tool so far! It would just be great if people could add to the database as we discover new/old food to add. 

Commander93
Jogger

Yea we need the feature!...

AUS-817
First Steps

Really this is such a shortfall for a company marketing a product globally.

Please introduce worldwide equality to your customers by showing us to add barcode to our custom foods already entered.

Rekamanon
Jogger

Hi,

 

I support the idea and I'm glad that I've found other Hungarians here in the community!

I think the usage of Fitbit will grow in Hungary so it would be very useful to have the local food sortiment (without the need to use other food-log databases).

 

Please keep us updated with the new features!

Thank you,

Rokayoga (Rekamanon)

FitSchlarp
First Steps

would love to add things from australia.

 

lazaria
First Steps

It's almost 2017 and this is still not an available option. I also noticed I can't post favorites on the app. I don't log via computer. What's the point?

Alfawjb
First Steps

Agree with the comments. Fitbit need to review redesign the food scanner to allow non US databases to be updateded, even better allow users to do it. Not sure why they need pictures just allow users to enter the nutrition information along with the barcode and then other users can confirm if its correct. And get rid of the message "Not found. Want to help out?" 

RStorm
First Steps

I would really love to have this feature in the UK. I'm a type 1 diabetic and have to do carb counting for everything i eat, being able to use the fitbit app to help with this would be amazing (along with the other health benefits)! I'd be able to access the nutritional and carb data (as well as cals.) so much more easily. 

Unfortunately without being able to add extra items to the bar codes, it makes the database that already exists very limited and doesn't necesarily make life any easier...

PowerfulPico
First Steps

It's 2017, @DerrickS, this thread was started in 2015, and I was looking to use this feature as soon as I got my Fitbit to help to freely grow your product index

 

This feature needs to be implemented, because from what I see throughout all these pages of comments, is this:

 

One country, out of all that exist in the world, is the only one that gets to use the full services of a product that's been on the market globally for multiple years. This should have been a fundamental core function released on launch. Please push to implement this, so users can get the most out of the services. 

lazaria
First Steps
Bravo



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Minxiearabella
First Steps

I really don't understand why the scan feature does not yet work in the UK. It's not like I bought this fitbit on the black market. I just bought it here in the UK, so I would have hoped that ALL the features would have been available here as well. Exactly how long have people been asking for this and not gotten it?? Ugh. So sad that it has taken Fitbit so long to address this. People outside the US are forking over good money to buy these devices too, yet it seems like areas outside the US are less of a priority. Hopefully Fitbit will fix this discrepancy soon...but I won't hold my breath 😞

Leewads
Jogger

It's a joke after all this time and no barcode scanner data for the UK! Obviously a cost involved and you don't want to pay :money_bag: but guess what MyFitnessPal have!

 

CYA

NiciFrances
First Steps

Very disappointing that I cannot scan food in, MyFitnessPal is great for this but for some reason cannot get it to connect to my FitBit app.

I would not have purchased a FitBit is I'd known that the app didn't support Australian barcode scanning. Also, I am not sure that US portion sizes match Aus portion/serving sizes on similar products. Currently Googling and manually adding custom foods for everythign (including fresh produce).

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