Limitations & Disclaimers
Platebreaker is not medical advice, medical care, or a medical device. This platform provides nutritional information and education based on established dietary guidelines from health authorities. It should not replace professional healthcare guidance, medical diagnosis, or treatment.
What Platebreaker Does
Section titled “What Platebreaker Does”Platebreaker tracks your food intake and shows you how it compares to nutrient recommendations from major health authorities (NASEM, EFSA, NHMRC, NNR). You can log meals, see which nutrients you’re meeting or missing, and search for recipes that fill nutritional gaps. The platform calculates personalized targets based on your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level.
All nutrition data comes from USDA FoodData Central, which means you can trace every nutrient value back to its original source. You can view up to 262 nutrients for any food, though only 110 have settable targets (65 with defaults, 45 customizable).
What Platebreaker Cannot Do
Section titled “What Platebreaker Cannot Do”Platebreaker cannot diagnose medical conditions, detect nutrient deficiencies, or tell you if you have health problems. Those require blood tests and medical examinations. The platform cannot treat diseases, cure health problems, or replace prescribed medical treatments. It cannot recommend treatments, interpret lab results, or replace doctor consultations.
Think of Platebreaker as a nutrition calculator and tracker, not a medical tool. It can show you the numbers, but it can’t tell you what those numbers mean for your specific health situation.
Data Limitations
Section titled “Data Limitations”The nutrient values in Platebreaker come from USDA databases, which report average values from multiple food samples. An apple’s actual vitamin C content varies based on the variety, where it was grown, soil conditions, and how long it’s been stored. The USDA reports an average, but your specific apple could be 20% higher or lower. This is normal variation, not an error.
Recipe nutrition is calculated by adding up the nutrients from each ingredient. This assumes typical cooking methods and average ingredient quality. Your actual results depend on the specific ingredients you use and how you prepare them.
What We Don’t Track
Section titled “What We Don’t Track”Platebreaker doesn’t track antinutrients (like phytic acid in grains or oxalates in spinach) that affect how well you absorb certain nutrients. It doesn’t track contaminants like heavy metals, pesticide residues, or microplastics. The platform also doesn’t account for individual differences in absorption—some people absorb iron better than others, for example, depending on gut health, genetics, and what else they’re eating.
Your gut microbiome, digestive enzyme production, and intestinal health all affect how many nutrients you actually absorb from food. Platebreaker shows you what’s in the food, not what your body extracts from it.
Individual Variation
Section titled “Individual Variation”Health authority recommendations are based on population averages. They’re designed to meet the needs of most healthy people, but “most” doesn’t mean “all.” Your actual needs might be higher or lower based on genetics (like the MTHFR gene affecting folate needs), stress levels, sleep quality, exercise intensity, age, and medications.
If you’re working with a registered dietitian or physician who recommends different targets based on your blood work or medical history, follow their guidance. You can enter custom targets in Platebreaker to match their recommendations.
Working with Healthcare Professionals
Section titled “Working with Healthcare Professionals”Healthcare professionals can interpret Platebreaker data in the context of your medical history, medications, and individual needs. Registered dietitians and physicians provide personalized guidance that population-based recommendations cannot.
You can export your tracking history from Platebreaker to share with your healthcare team. If they recommend custom targets, enter those in Settings → Nutrition Preferences. Track your adherence and report results at follow-ups so they can adjust their recommendations based on how things are working.
Accuracy and Reliability
Section titled “Accuracy and Reliability”We provide evidence-based data from authoritative sources (USDA, health authorities), with transparent links to original sources. We update USDA data quarterly and review authority guidelines annually. However, we don’t guarantee perfect accuracy because food composition varies naturally, everyone responds differently to dietary changes, and some nutrients lack complete data.
You’re responsible for verifying important decisions with professionals, monitoring how you feel (not just numbers), and reporting any errors or concerns you notice.
Special Populations
Section titled “Special Populations”If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, over 65, an athlete, or managing a medical condition, work with qualified healthcare professionals before making significant dietary changes. These situations have specialized nutrition needs that go beyond population averages.
For children and adolescents, growth requires professional monitoring and nutrient needs change rapidly. For pregnancy and breastfeeding, mistakes can affect fetal development. Athletes have extreme training demands that require sports nutrition expertise. Elderly individuals often have decreased absorption efficiency and more medication interactions. Medical conditions typically require specific diets and professional management.
Your Responsibility
Section titled “Your Responsibility”By using Platebreaker, you understand it’s not medical advice, you’ll consult professionals when appropriate, and you’re responsible for your dietary choices and health monitoring. We commit to providing accurate information from authoritative sources, updating data regularly, being transparent about sources and limitations, and maintaining data privacy.
We’re not liable for medical outcomes, health changes, decisions made without professional consultation, individual responses to dietary changes, errors in third-party data sources, or misuse of the platform.
Safe Use
Section titled “Safe Use”Use Platebreaker as an educational resource. Track consistently to see trends over time. Consult professionals for medical issues. Adjust based on how you feel, not just what the numbers say. Verify important information with qualified sources. Report errors or concerns through our feedback system.
Don’t self-diagnose medical conditions. Don’t ignore professional medical advice in favor of app recommendations. Don’t make extreme dietary changes without guidance. Don’t rely solely on the app for managing medical conditions. Don’t substitute the app for medical care. Don’t ignore warning symptoms. Don’t give medical advice to others based on app data.
If you develop concerning symptoms, existing conditions worsen, you feel unwell after dietary changes, lab results show problems, or your healthcare provider expresses concerns, stop and seek medical help.
Getting Help
Section titled “Getting Help”For general questions, check the FAQ section. For data issues, report via the feedback system. For technical problems, contact support. For medical questions, consult your healthcare provider.
Platebreaker is a powerful educational and tracking tool based on established science, but it’s not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult qualified healthcare providers for medical needs. Individual variation means one size doesn’t fit all. Data has limitations and natural variation. You are responsible for your health decisions.
Use Platebreaker as one tool in your health journey, alongside professional healthcare guidance, regular medical check-ups, blood tests and monitoring, your own body awareness, and continued learning.
When in doubt, ask a professional. Your health is too important to guess.