Emory researchers build a more accurate way to track what you eat

In 2024, diet and nutrition apps reached a global market value of $2.1 billion, expected to grow to $4.5 billion by 2030. Most apps now incorporate AI-powered photo recognition, but their accuracy in real-world conditions and provision of detailed nutritional information for specific medical needs remains uncertain. Emory University researchers have developed NutriCamp, an iOS and Android app that lets users record meals via photos, text, or voice.

NutriCamp recognizes foods, estimates portion sizes, and calculates 65 nutrients and food components, including macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as micronutrients such as vitamin D, iron, and folate. Unlike many current apps that focus on lifestyle and calorie counting, NutriCamp offers more comprehensive dietary insights, which can aid disease prevention and management, according to Runze Yan, co-principal investigator at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

The app's database includes 5,624 foods and beverages, 4,982 foods, and 642 beverages, along with over 23,000 portion descriptions. Assessing food intake in daily life is complicated by multiple foods, sauces, hidden ingredients, varying preparation methods, and differences in lighting, camera angles, and presentation. NutriCamp addresses these issues through advanced AI models that analyze foods, ingredients, portions, and nutritional content.

In a recent study published in Communications Medicine, NutriCamp reduced average estimation errors for food weight and four key nutritional measures by 63% when tested on photographs of everyday mixed-meal images. It surpassed three popular AI-based dietary assessment apps, existing computer vision models, and GPT Vision (the image-capable AI used in ChatGPT).

Dietitians evaluated the app's macronutrient and micronutrient estimates using real-world food examples, highlighting the importance of both macronutrient and micronutrient estimation for health-related dietary needs.

NutriCamp's ability to provide detailed dietary information can help researchers and clinicians better understand individual nutritional needs, particularly for people with medical conditions such as cancer or stroke survivors. The app also aids public health by supporting epidemiological studies and enabling clinicians to create customized dietary guidance based on patients' unique requirements.

Yan emphasizes that NutriCamp alleviates users' burden of remembering their consumed foods. The research team plans to further evaluate NutriCamp across various populations and health conditions to support nutrition research, public health, and clinical care.