Yes! MenuCalc’s software, analysis process, and menu-labeling services are 100% FDA-compliant. We only use methods that are approved for use within the food manufacturing industry. The information used to analyze your products for accurate menu labeling is directly sourced from the USDA food database. This ensures that you are receiving the most accurate analysis possible resulting in proper labeling that is in compliance with FDA standards, every time.

FYI — the USDA and FDA do not publicly endorse any individual lab, consultant, or nutrition analysis provider.

We have multiple monthly subscription options, based on your business needs. Prefer an annual plan? We offer 10% off to those who pay annually! Learn more about the costs associated with MenuCalc by visiting this page.

Want to skip self-import and outsource the work! Ask our team about MenuCalc’s in-house migration support to do the recipe import work for you.

Elevate your experience by utilizing our migration team to do the recipe and ingredient import work for you. Ask us for details in your demo - or shoot us an email at info@foodcalc.com.

MenuCalc’s sophisticated online platform is intuitively designed to require very little training so you can get started immediately. We’ve designed our software with guidance from food service professionals like you to make it a valuable time-saver for your business - complete with a brand-new self-import option.

Yes, absolutely! If by chance you have a unique item that can not be found in our database, you may add the ingredient and its nutrition information to enter your recipe exactly as it was created. This feature is called the “My Ingredient Add” tool. Watch this feature in action here on this video demo.

All customer recipes are protected by our confidentiality agreement. We will never share or give access to your recipes without your explicit consent. If you take advantage of our expert consulting services in order to have MenuCalc staff complete nutritional analysis or evaluation on your behalf, you can be sure that your recipes and ingredients will be kept confidential and only discussed within the scope of your project between MenuCalc’s Registered Dietitians and consultants. Our system is airtight, and we are proud to offer such a high level of security for your prized menu items.

Similar to online banking or web-based credit card transactions, MenuCalc adheres to the highest security measures on the web to qualify for PCI-compliance and to ensure that user information is secured. MenuCalc’s databases are located on a dedicated server that performs daily back-ups within Time Warner Telecom’s secure commercial web hosting facility. If at any time you suspect fraudulent activity on your account, please contact us immediately.

At MenuCalc, we value your time and promise to help you maximize it. With our online software, there are no installation, download, or patch updating procedures. Your account populates with the very latest features and database additions each time you sign in. Getting started on your nutritional analysis takes just a few clicks of the mouse and you’re ready to go!

We sure do. MenuCalc’s database is comprised of over 25,000 USDA-compiled lab-tested ingredients to create your recipe with complete accuracy and quality assurance.

Yes! Many of our clients make recipes in-house from scratch. We call these ‘Prep Recipes’ and have a powerful feature that enables our clients to make their recipe, and then save it as a ‘Prep Recipe,’ which can then be pulled into other recipes or finished menu items. Think salsa, salad dressing, marinade, etc. See this feature and other unique-to-MenuCalc features here on our demo center.

The bottom line: nutritional analysis by calculation (using MenuCalc’s online software) is more cost-effective, time-saving, and accurate than laboratory chemical analysis. It’s a far better investment of your time and resources.

Here’s why: Chemical analysis performed in a lab involves incinerating food samples to determine nutrient content. You must test multiple samples of food to establish an average, and these additional tests can be very costly. However, analysis via calculation involves taking already-analyzed ingredients and scaling their nutrient values—producing a final nutrient average that’s based on detailed averages instead of inconsistent sample variation.

MenuCalc uses this database-grounded approach to nutrition analysis and is trusted by small and large restaurants alike for analysis accuracy, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and instant turnaround.

MenuCalc’s expert staff is well-versed in menu labeling laws and is happy to assist you in becoming compliant. We have experience advising both independent and chain/franchise-owned restaurants on how to comply with regional and national menu regulations. To learn more about the laws your restaurant location may fall under, refer to our discussion on Laws and Regulations.

Not only are your results available instantly upon entry, they are also calculated in real-time. This means, as you enter each ingredient of a recipe, the nutrition information and product weight is immediately updated. This ensures the accuracy of ingredient entry all the way through to recipe completion.

Good news: there isn’t one! All you need to do is create a dedicated URL page on your website and then copy and paste our provided embed code for your display.

We recommend naming the URL as ‘SmartMenu’, ‘Nutrition Guide’, or ‘Allergen Chart’. It is best practice to place your SmartMenu URL in the top search bar on your website in order to gather the most diner data with SmartMenu insights

With MenuCalc, you have 3 options for nutrition analysis. Each option utilizes our ingredient database which contains over 300,000 pre-analyzed ingredients + the ability to add your own.

1. Self-Import: import your recipes directly into MenuCalc to save time and money. Our self-import feature is compatible with inventory management software and Excel files.

2. Outsource Your Recipe Import: Outsource your recipe import to our nutrition team and we will take care of importing and analyzing your recipes for you.

3. Build Recipes From Scratch: With MenuCalc you can always build your recipes from scratch and get started today!

Our import feature is compatible with the most popular inventory management platforms on the market including MarketMan, Crunchtime, R365, and others. Reach out to our team today to discuss getting started with your recipe import!