Question 1

How are available net carbohydrates calculated across different jurisdictions?

Accepted Answer

For food profiles originating from US standards (USDA FoodData Central), dietary fiber is subtracted from total carbohydrates. For European panels conforming to Regulation EU 1169/2011 and CIQUAL, carbohydrates are already declared as available carbohydrates, preventing erroneous double-subtraction.

Question 2

What does the PRAL score indicate and how is it calculated?

Accepted Answer

The PRAL (Remer & Manz) food chemistry metric calculates dietary acid-base mineral balance in mEq from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. In accordance with Unitrition mineral null-safety principles, missing mineral concentrations are never imputed as 0.0 mg (zero-value fallacy prohibition), preserving analytic uncertainty for incomplete profiles.

Question 3

What is the NOVA classification standard in this catalog?

Accepted Answer

The NOVA classification categorizes foods by the nature and extent of industrial processing. The Unitrition reference database prioritizes NOVA Group 1 (unprocessed or minimally processed whole foods) and Group 2 culinary ingredients, supporting transparent food composition modeling.

Question 4

How can I transfer catalog foods into the Meal Builder?

Accepted Answer

Every food card features a direct action button to transfer the item with its standard reference serving directly into your active Meal Builder plate, allowing consolidated analysis of energy, macronutrients, and cumulative PRAL mineral balance.

Question 5

What is the educational purpose and software scope of this catalog?

Accepted Answer

This reference catalog operates strictly as a consumer food composition calculator and meal building software utility compiled from open scientific databases (USDA FoodData Central, ANSES CIQUAL, Open Food Facts) for educational and culinary nutrition awareness.