[ecesena]

I'm a big fan of spreadsheets instead of db -- it has it's limitations of course, but works great for apps with a few thousand read-only records (items/products or even just text captions).

I built HasGluten [1, 2] with react + google spreadsheet, hosted on github for free, you get a cheap, scalable, geo-distributed software stack, with simple interfaces to maintain both code (GitHub Pages) and data (Google Sheets — also great for the non-tech).

[1] http://hasgluten.com

[2] https://github.com/hasgluten/hasgluten

[dpweb]

You can grab published Google Sheets in JSON using, https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/list/{{doc_id}}/od6/pu...

example, https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/list/1btWWclsRW6-wrIdC...

[ecesena]

I'm actually using multiple sheets and jsonp [1], but that's essentially what I'm doing.

[1] https://github.com/hasgluten/hasgluten/blob/master/src/app/p...

[Ciantic]

Your HasGluten is interesting.

You probably should try to do international free wiki-like open database of all foods with EAN codes. Maybe Fitbit and other vendors could chip in to provide food details.

I would love to scan all my food EAN codes and see in the computer what I have in my refrigator in calories, protein etc.

P.S. Google spreadsheet is not enough for database of all the world's food

[ecesena]

Definitely we'd need a db for that :)

[thalesmello]

In Brazil all food manufactures are required to put in the package whether the product contains gluten or not. Isn't that the case in the United States?

[ecesena]

It is, but try to go to Safeway and buy a GF powerbar... :)

Jokes aside, we maintain the list mostly for ingredients. Many people, especially "novice", often ask the same questions -- or you may have doubts for strange/unfamiliar foods, for instance if you're traveling in a foreign country.

[chunkiestbacon]

Very cool. I sent you a pull request.

[ecesena]

Awesome! Today is a bit busy, but I'll have a look at it!