I wonder, what did you use as a db? Since you started with a spreadsheet, you could just use that. Google Spreadsheet has a json api that you can query directly from your web app.
I did it for http://hasgluten.com, if you want to see it in practice (hosted for free on github). Easier to keep the "backend" updated, since you just have to edit the spreadsheet.
It's actually quite useful if your application never updates your data and you want a data entry system for free. Downside is validation is a PITA, but for certain things using something like Google spreadsheets will get you a very long way very quickly. You can then build a better data entry system after that.
In my experience the gains made from a quick setup are quickly offset by the amount of time wasted by not having any data validation, and the resulting bad data that gets into the system.
You're not worried about accidentally corrupting data? I do that all the time with spreadsheets. Seems like it would could be pretty bad if you accidentally labelled something gluten free and it wasn't.
Sorry, not sure I follow. Is mongo public? I dont think so. So the issue isn't the spreadsheet, it's your data with public write access, which is of course a very bad idea.
I wonder, what did you use as a db? Since you started with a spreadsheet, you could just use that. Google Spreadsheet has a json api that you can query directly from your web app.
I did it for http://hasgluten.com, if you want to see it in practice (hosted for free on github). Easier to keep the "backend" updated, since you just have to edit the spreadsheet.