Sources and methodology
Last updated October 20, 2026
Where the numbers come from.
Piato matches foods to public nutrition databases and cites the literature it draws on. Everything stays an estimate you can edit.
Estimates, not advice
Calories and macros are estimates for a food log. They are not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or medical advice. You edit the draft before Confirm writes the diary.
USDA FoodData Central
When a food matches a USDA FoodData Central record, the calories and macros come from that record, scaled to the amount you keep. The ingredient sheet names the record.
Open Food Facts
Packaged foods can match an Open Food Facts product, including a barcode you scan. The label on the package is the packaged-food source when Piato has it.
When nothing matches
If Coach cannot bind a row to a catalog record, the row stays an estimate. The calculation sheet says so. Check that row before you confirm.
OpenNutrition
The literature mode only cites papers retrieved from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A citation you can open is one of those papers. It is not a personal recommendation.