diff --git a/js/components/FoodItemSaveBtn.js b/js/components/FoodItemSaveBtn.js
index dc92e42..c748c97 100644
--- a/js/components/FoodItemSaveBtn.js
+++ b/js/components/FoodItemSaveBtn.js
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ export default compose(
 	withReplaceRoute,
 	withHandlers({
 		doSave: ({ saveFoodItem, setLoading, setError, replaceRoute }) => async () => {
+			setError(null);
+			setLoading(true);
 			try {
-				setLoading(true);
 				const { id, name } = await saveFoodItem();
 				replaceRoute(routeWithTitle(`/foodItem/${id || ''}`, name));
 			} catch (error) {
-				console.log(error); // eslint-disable-line
 				setError(error);
 			} finally {
 				setLoading(false);
diff --git a/js/enhancers/createFoodItemEnhancers.js b/js/enhancers/createFoodItemEnhancers.js
index a99a59c..d0b7ad1 100644
--- a/js/enhancers/createFoodItemEnhancers.js
+++ b/js/enhancers/createFoodItemEnhancers.js
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ import { createFoodItem } from '../apis/FoodItemsApi';
 import FoodItemRecord, { createFoodItem as buildFoodItem } from '../records/FoodItemRecord';
 import Snackbar from 'react-native-snackbar';
 
-// should throw an error if not valid
-const isFoodItemValid = () => true;
-
 export const withCreateFoodItemState = mapPropsStream(props$ => {
 	return props$.combineLatest(CreateFoodItem$, (props, state) => {
 		const { foodItem, loading, error } = state;
@@ -18,13 +15,11 @@ export const withCreateFoodItemState = mapPropsStream(props$ => {
 		const setError = (error: Error) => emitCreateItemState({ ...state, error });
 
 		const saveFoodItem = async () => {
-			if (isFoodItemValid(foodItem)) {
+			try {
 				// insert new item into db and cast it into FoodItemRecord
 				const newItem = buildFoodItem(await createFoodItem(foodItem));
 
-				Snackbar.show({
-					title: foodItem.name + ' added',
-				});
+				Snackbar.show({ title: foodItem.name + ' added' });
 
 				// notify food items state of new item
 				emitFoodItemsState(newItem);
@@ -34,6 +29,12 @@ export const withCreateFoodItemState = mapPropsStream(props$ => {
 
 				// allow caller to see what was created
 				return newItem;
+			} catch (err) {
+				const error = formatError(err);
+
+				Snackbar.show({ title: error, duration: Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG });
+
+				throw error;
 			}
 		};
 
@@ -49,3 +50,30 @@ export const withCreateFoodItemState = mapPropsStream(props$ => {
 		};
 	});
 });
+
+function getNameForKey(key) {
+	switch (key) {
+		case 'name':
+			return 'Name';
+		case 'placeId':
+			return 'Place';
+		case 'category':
+			return 'Category';
+		case 'quantity':
+			return 'Quantity';
+		case 'latitude':
+		case 'longitude':
+		default:
+			return '';
+	}
+}
+
+function formatError({ message } = {}) {
+	try {
+		const msgObj = JSON.parse(message);
+		if (msgObj.missingkeys) {
+			return `Please fill in ${msgObj.missingkeys.map(getNameForKey).join(', ')}`;
+		}
+	} catch (err) {} //eslint-disable-line
+	return message;
+}