FoodCALC Gives Confidence to a Nervous Restaurant Industry in the Wake of National Menu Labeling Law

Online, March 30, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Technologically driven nutrition analysis experts at FoodCALC have announced a complete upgraded release to the MenuCalc nutrient database, cementing the role of web-based technology in the onslaught of menu labeling laws affecting the country.

FoodCALC's unrivaled product for restaurant operators, MenuCalc, is changing the way nutrition analysis is obtained. Leading the way in modernizing traditional strategies for analyzing restaurant menu items, MenuCalc's online platform does away with expensive laboratories and private consultants. Now restaurant operators looking to provide nutrition analysis for their menu items need only to go online.

FoodCALC goes beyond a basic database update that is standard with other online products. The company has transformed the process of simple database maintenance into a sophisticated, streamlined product upgrade.

The MenuCalc database is drawn largely from the USDA's national nutrient database, and is updated annually with the most current versions available. These automated upgrades are designed to produce the most accurate results possible, while enhancing the user experience by removing any hassle involved in accessing the updated ingredient library. The result is nothing short of MenuCalc's most robust ingredient database to date.

The ingredient update is accompanied by a slew of other upgrades to the MenuCalc system; including expanded search abilities, a "My Toolbox" section to help locate individual ingredients across multiple recipes, and a sophisticated spelling function that predicts search targets based on commonly misspelled ingredient names.

Users of the MenuCalc system have already praised the effortless transition made in using the upgraded database. "Knowing that MenuCalc is "on top" of the FDA regulations - keeping us informed of changes, and automatically updating my recipes to reflect the USDA database is wonderful. The options for downloading make it easy to review my recipes and build my spreadsheet with all of my menu items in one place," said MenuCalc client Blake's Lotaburger.

The FoodCALC development team's innovative approach to these system changes means a smooth transition for users, with clear illustrations of affected recipes before and after the upgrade. "These features have been added seamlessly, without any inconvenience being placed on the user," says FoodCALC's Director of Nutrition, Alyson Mar, RD. "When a web-based solution like MenuCalc can instantly make these changes without any added cost or suspension in service, it's increasingly difficult to see the benefits of working with any other platform to obtain nutrition analysis." Mar is referring to the often-compared method of CD-ROM services to generate nutrition analysis, which offers none of the benefits of a web-based system: manual upgrades of data in the form of replacing a CD being the primary drawback.

MenuCalc's revolutionary approach to nutrition analysis comes at a time when the restaurant industry most urgently needs it: the national menu labeling law, which affects nearly 250,000 restaurant locations across the country, is due to be enacted this spring. Endorsed by the National Restaurant Association as preferred providers of nutrition analysis, FoodCALC says the company's core commitment remains to the design and development of web-based applications to make nutrition analysis available and affordable.