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Our method

How the app and this site rate foods, and what they are based on.

FODMAP content

For each food, the database gives the content of each group (fructans, GOS, lactose, excess fructose, sorbitol, mannitol) in grams per 100 g. These values come from scientific publications that measured FODMAPs in the lab, completed by the French Ciqual composition table (Anses) for lactose and sugars. Each page shows its sources and a reliability level: A (value taken from a source), B (value from the literature, to be confirmed) or C (estimate based on similar foods).

Cut-offs per meal

The cut-offs above which a meal may trigger symptoms follow Varney et al. (2017), a reference publication on FODMAP cut-off values per serving. For example: 0.3 g of fructans or GOS, 1 g of lactose, 0.15 g of excess fructose per meal.

Green, orange, red

For a food eaten on its own, the “green” amount is the one that stays under the cut-offs. Up to twice that, the food is orange; above, it is red. Groups that act the same way are combined (fructans with GOS, sorbitol with mannitol).

The whole meal

In the app, the FODMAPs of each product are worked out from the chosen portion, then added up over the whole meal. That total gives the colour of the meal.

Your tolerances

After reintroduction, everyone tolerates each group more or less. In the app you can set each group (sensitive, a little, well, all): the cut-offs are then multiplied accordingly. Without any setting, the standard cut-offs apply.

Limits

Content varies with variety, ripeness, cooking and recipe. Packaged products are estimated from their ingredient list and stated percentages. Results are therefore guides, not exact measurements of your plate. FODMAP Scanner uses no proprietary data from other apps.

Review

The food database, serving sizes and explanations were reviewed with a dietitian and a nutritionist, who also tested the app. Spotted a mistake? Report it with the “A mistake, an idea?” button in the app.

Main references

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