WikiTrition
Wikitrition will provide consumers with access to an open database of nutritional information on food products.
Note: Please use the Talk:WikiTrition page to comment.
Purpose
[edit]Although some nutritional databases currently exist, these are only available from paid access weight loss sites or do not carry a comprehensive list. The USDA has a database which is in the public domain and could be used as a starting point, but the ability for users to contribute a label of their favorite product would make the site more useful.
Integration with Wikipedia
[edit]Currently Wikipedia has some templates created and contributors can use these to create a nutritional label for the subject of the article they are editing, but their use is rare. Also there is no central database, and although the data seems reliable, there is no method of verification. Wikipedia articles would benefit from a central database by allowing this information to be included in articles automatically. One aspect which may lend itself more to being mutually exclusive is the encyclopedic content. It may be beneficial to restrict articles in scope to only the aspects of a subject as they relate to nutrition. An article "Apple" for example might be more beneficial to Wikitrition users if it didn't include Apple Inc.