Barcode-- Australia

[SunsetRunner]

So, I did a quick google search & forum search which normally reveals any answers I'm after, but alas this one didn't come up..

I'm in Australia so my food database is set to Australia. I can easily scan the barcodes without issue. However, when one isn't in the database it offers me no way to help add it in. Even if it's just for my own personal use. In a scan on the forums I did it appears that hasn't always been the case, is this a glitch with the new app or has the feature been done away with?

I was previously using MFP for food tracking, but really wanted to utalise the FitBit app, the lack of the barcode working for most of my items as I don't have enough food history in the app yet is going to be frustrating.

I'm on an iphone 6, which has the latest version of whatever running on it. 😉 Any ideas?

[JuanJoFitbit]

@SunsetRunner It's great to see you in the Community! I'm not sure why you are not seeing the option to add your food to the database. You mentioned that you have your iPhone up to date but do you also the latest version of the Fitbit app? I did a test and I was able to get the option to add a suggestion to the database and I took the following steps:

Went to Food and tapped the plus sign

Then tapped the bar icon next search bar

Took the time to scan the barcode, it didn't recognize it then the app showed the option to submit to database

Then it requested some pictures that you can add of the product you want to submit to the database.

I would like to know if you were able to get the options above. If you didn't, what did you get to see? Also make sure to have a stable Internet connection when doing this.

Looking forward to your response my friend! 

[amylase]

hi, i have the same problem, i am using samsun galaxy s7 and when the barcode is not recognised, it suggests i help out, but i cant actually click on the thing that suggests i take photos

[BigRigg1972]

Based in Australia.

When you scan barcode and its not in your database it dosent give the option to add at all.

Phone in uptodate and app is uptodate

Iphone 8Plus

Dave

[edgewalker66]

After experiencing the same feature-lack I searched Help and found a little note that the food scanning only works for the USA database. SO if you want to add missing food in Australia, do what I did and switch your settings to the USA food database. You will then get the option to add the barcode and food item.  We will soon turn it into a USA/AU database.  A lot of Australian food items are already in the US database as it started off being the only one available.  

The only other choice until Fitbit sends some love and features downunder is to create your own Custom Food.  But that is why you can search and come up with all kinds of entries for the same product with slightly different names. That raises the further issue that even if you look at the Nutrition info before you enter your consumption, the app doesn't show what 'serving size' the original person used when entering the item - especially as choices can be limited (for example, someone could use the gross weight of an egg measured by package info divided by 12; the next person could use info found on the web which provides the net weight/ex-shell; someone else just enters 1 meaning a single egg.).  

SO that is why I have used the USA database and persist with that.  Amazing this is still a topic after two or more years, but it is...

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @edgewalker66, thanks for joining the conversation, it's always great to welcome new members to the Fitbit Community. 

I appreciate your participation in the Forums and for providing your insight about this situation. Please note that at this moment, our team doesn't have plans to release an international food database for barcode scanning. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs. For now, our team will leave this suggestion open for votes (and closed to comments) so that we can continue to track community demand over time.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us and we will let you know if anything changes. If there's anything else I can do for you, please feel free to reply.