diff --git a/src/caosadvancedtools/cfood.py b/src/caosadvancedtools/cfood.py
index 8b1470b4ec9ca2ebb0171ed4e4bba3d836d9189c..c0998927acc3e9aeee95980b09be7701823162b4 100644
--- a/src/caosadvancedtools/cfood.py
+++ b/src/caosadvancedtools/cfood.py
@@ -74,6 +74,17 @@ class AbstractCFood(object):
         for n in names:
             entity.add_parent(get_entity(n))
 
+    @staticmethod
+    # move to api?
+    def set_property(entity, prop, value):
+        if entity.get_property(prop) is None:
+            entity.add_property(prop, value)
+        else:
+            if entity.get_property(prop).value == value:
+                return
+            else:
+                entity.get_property(prop).value = value
+
     @staticmethod
     # move to api?
     def set_property(entity, name, value):
@@ -97,7 +108,6 @@ class AbstractCFood(object):
         return r
 
 
-
 def get_parser():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__,
                                      formatter_class=RawTextHelpFormatter)