Checks on Data
There are some yellow warning triangles at the outset and others may appear as you enter values. These appear because NutriCalc carries out various checks on the numbers entered. It looks for obvious errors and omissions. It may help fill in some gaps.
The following are checked:
- Is a protein value missing?
- Is a fat value missing?
- Is a carbohydrate value missing?
- Is a dietary fibre value missing? If you do not have a value for fibre, you may be able to calculate referencing this article: Calculate Dietary Fibre Value for Energy.
- Is a sodium value missing?
- Is sodium surprisingly low? Sodium values of less than 10 are unusual, but they do occur (eg wheat flour). Thus a reminder to check that the value has been entered in milligrams, not grams.
- Is a moisture value missing? (clicking the triangle offers the option of Use estimated value which calculates it from the other values entered)
- Do energy (kcal and kJ) values make sense with fat, protein, carbohydrate and dietary fibre values? Clicking the triangle offers the option of calculating it from fat, protein, carbohydrate and fibre. The availability of this option means that you do not have to work out or enter the energy value on the grid. The program will work it out for you. Note: Energy (kcals) may not necessarily tally with 9xF + 4xP + 4xC + 2xDF (due to the presence of alcohol, organic acids etc.
- Is the fat breakdown missing? options: split evenly or base on entry. If the whole breakdown is missing (or if only saturates are present), the values may be estimated. They may be split evenly, a crude device but probably better than zeros. Or they may be based upon a fat type. For example, if the ingredient is a pork sausage, scroll down the list, click on Base upon and then click on Pork in the list.
- Is carbohydrate present, but starch and sugars missing? They may be split evenly, a crude device but probably better than zeros, if there is no chance of getting any values.
- Are carbohydrate and sugars present, starch missing? This is quite common. Using the calculated value gives a value of carbohydrate – sugars.
- Are carbohydrate and starch present, sugars missing? Unusual. Using the calculated value gives a value of carbohydrate – starch.
- Does starch + sugars + polyols equal greater than carbohydrate?