Every nutrition tracker is only as good as its food database. If you scan a barcode and the product isn't there, or the data is wrong, the whole experience breaks down. That's why LBN takes a community-driven approach to building the most comprehensive free food database available. Our users don't just consume data; they contribute it, verify it and improve it every single day.
products and growing. LBN's food database combines OpenFoodFacts data, our curated database and thousands of community submissions. Every week, hundreds of new products are added by users like you.
How the Community Database Works
When you scan a barcode in LBN, the app searches multiple sources: our own curated product database, the OpenFoodFacts open-source database (with over 3 million products worldwide), and every product that LBN users have submitted. If a match is found, you get instant nutritional data. If it's not found, you become part of the solution.
Scan & Discover
Point your camera at any barcode. If the product exists in our database, you get full nutritional info instantly: calories, macros, Nutri-Score, E-numbers and ingredients.
Submit Missing Products
When a product isn't found, you can submit it in under a minute. Enter the details from the label and help the next person who scans that same barcode.
Earn Coins
Every approved submission earns you coins. Spend them on cosmetic items for your virtual pet. The more you contribute, the more you earn.
Admin Verification
Every submission is reviewed by an admin before going live. This quality gate ensures our database maintains high accuracy and prevents spam or incorrect data.
How to Submit a Product
We take data accuracy seriously. Every community submission goes through admin review before being published to the database. Our team checks the nutritional values against the product photo to catch typos and errors. If a submission has issues, we'll correct it or send it back for revision. This means when you scan a community-submitted product, you can trust the data as much as any other entry in our database. We also encourage users to report any incorrect data they find, and we correct it promptly.
Why Crowdsourced Data Wins
No single company can catalogue every food product in every country. New products launch weekly. Regional and store-brand items exist in the thousands. Small artisan producers and health food brands often fly under the radar of commercial databases. A community-driven approach means:
- Faster coverage of new products — users submit them days after launch
- Better regional coverage — local products that commercial databases miss
- Continuous improvement — errors get reported and fixed by the community
- Supermarket own-brands — Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Lidl own-label products that change frequently
UK Product Coverage
LBN has particularly strong UK coverage thanks to our active British user base. You'll find comprehensive data for:
- Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons own-brand products
- Aldi and Lidl budget ranges
- M&S and Waitrose premium lines
- Co-op, Iceland and Farmfoods products
- Popular UK brands like Greggs, Cadbury, Walkers and Warburtons
The easiest way to earn coins is to submit products you buy regularly that aren't yet in the database. Keep an eye out for new product launches, seasonal items and store-brand products. Each approved submission earns coins you can spend on your virtual pet. Some users have submitted over 100 products and earned enough coins for premium pet cosmetics. It takes about 60 seconds per submission and you're helping thousands of other users in the process.
Submission Quality Tips
Want your submissions approved quickly? Follow these guidelines:
- Use per 100g values where available, not just per serving
- Include all fields even if they're zero (e.g., 0g fibre)
- Take a clear photo with the nutrition label fully visible and in focus
- Double-check your numbers before submitting (typos in calories are the most common rejection reason)
- Use the exact product name from the packaging, including flavour and variety
How This Compares
MyFitnessPal also allows user submissions, but their database has a well-known accuracy problem because submissions aren't verified before going live. YAZIO and Lose It! have smaller databases and limited submission options. LBN's approach combines the scale of community contribution with the accuracy of admin verification. Free
Every product you submit makes LBN better for everyone. It's a genuine community effort that turns a good food database into a great one. If you scan something and it's not there, take 60 seconds to add it. You'll earn coins, help fellow users, and make your own future tracking faster. Download LBN free on Android and join the community building the world's best free food database.
