{ "rule_version": "pcos-score@2.0.0", "adapter_version": "pcos-adapters@2.0.1", "generated_by": "packages/score/scripts/build-rules.mjs from the engine constants. Do not edit by hand.", "app_name": "Chickpea", "title": "How we score foods", "summary": "Every food gets a number out of 100 and one of five words, from Everyday (85-100) to Rarely (0-29). The score rates the food's overall nutrition per 100 g (per 100 ml for drinks), with extra weight on fiber, added sugar and whole grains. It is built on the 2023 update of the European front-of-pack nutrient-profiling algorithm published by Santé publique France and its international Scientific Committee (foods: 2022 report; drinks: 2023 report), computed by us, with documented changes: free sugars instead of total sugars; limits for refined grains and starchy roots, refined processed grain foods, free and concentrated sugar, sweetened drinks, processed and red meat, fried potatoes and other deep-fried foods and industrial trans fat; plain tea and coffee rated next to water; points off for added sugar, sugar-sweetened drinks, 100% juice, processed meat and drinks with non-sugar sweeteners; and, for packaged foods, additives an official body has flagged. All deductions together leave at least a third of the number. The score is our opinion, based on our published method. It is not endorsed by any health authority. A lower band doesn't rule a food out. Numbers within about 5 points of each other are the same in practice: compare similar foods.", "precision": "Food data are less precise than a number out of 100 suggests: US labels may state up to 20% less of a nutrient than the food has, and the same food varies from sample to sample (the fiber in a banana ranges from 1.1 to 2.2 g per 100 g across ten USDA samples). So a difference of about 5 points means nothing; compare similar foods, per 100 g.", "lower_band_note": "A lower band doesn't rule a food out.", "disclaimer_short": "Food scores rate overall nutrition, with extra weight on fiber, added sugar and whole grains. They are general information, not medical advice, and don't diagnose or treat PCOS (PMOS). Check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.", "disclaimer_long": "Chickpea scores foods using a published nutrient-profiling method (adapted from the 2023 update of the European front-of-pack nutrient-profiling algorithm published by Santé publique France and its international Scientific Committee (foods: 2022 report; drinks: 2023 report), with documented changes for free sugars, whole grains and starchy staples, meat, fried foods, drinks and officially flagged additives). The score is our opinion, based on our published method. It is not endorsed by any health authority. It does not test products and does not measure your body's response. Healthy eating, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help you live well with PCOS (PMOS), but no food causes or treats PCOS (PMOS), and no single diet is proven best. This is not medical advice and is not a diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes, especially if you are pregnant, take medication such as metformin, or have ever had an eating disorder. Food data: USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts (© Open Food Facts contributors, ODbL); it may contain errors, so check the package label.", "guideline_note": "No single diet is proven best for PCOS (2023 International Evidence-based PCOS Guideline). The score does not use glycemic index numbers.", "statements": { "opinion": "The score is our opinion, based on our published method. It is not endorsed by any health authority.", "no_food_causes_or_treats": "No food causes or treats PCOS (PMOS), and no single diet is proven best." }, "bands": [ { "band": 1, "label": "Everyday", "score_min": 85, "score_max": 100, "meaning": "Fits well as an everyday food." }, { "band": 2, "label": "Most days", "score_min": 70, "score_max": 84, "meaning": "Fits well on most days." }, { "band": 3, "label": "Sometimes", "score_min": 50, "score_max": 69, "meaning": "Fine on some days, not every day." }, { "band": 4, "label": "Once in a while", "score_min": 30, "score_max": 49, "meaning": "Best enjoyed once in a while." }, { "band": 5, "label": "Rarely", "score_min": 0, "score_max": 29, "meaning": "Best kept for rare occasions." } ], "steps": [ { "step": "1", "name": "Group", "text": "Each food goes into one of six groups, because each group has its own tables: general foods; fats, oils, nuts and seeds; cheese; red meat and red-meat products; drinks; plain water.", "status": "sourced", "sources": [ "S70", "S72" ] }, { "step": "2", "name": "Points", "text": "Points are added for energy, sugar, saturated fat and salt, and taken away for protein, fiber and fruit, vegetables or legumes. Fewer points is better. The point tables are the published 2023 tables, unchanged.", "status": "sourced", "sources": [ "S70", "S72" ] }, { "step": "2a", "name": "Free sugars instead of total sugars", "text": "In the sugar line we count free sugars, not total sugars: added sugars, plus the sugars in honey, syrups, fruit and vegetable juices, purées and pastes, plus all the sugar in drinks other than milk drinks. Sugar inside whole fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, dried or canned), milk sugar in plain milk and yogurt, and sugar in grains do not count. When a packaged food lists no added sugar and its ingredients contain sugar, we count its total sugar and say so; fruit or vegetables packed in juice count about 40% of their sugar (the juice part), as an estimate. US labels leave fruit juice out of \"added sugars\", so juice sugar is added back where the data shows it (foods made of juice or purée, such as applesauce and fruit pulps, products whose first ingredient is a juice or purée, recipes), and when a juice or juice concentrate is one of a product's first three ingredients the band is marked estimated if the juice sugar could change it.", "status": "sourced definitions; applying them per food is our choice", "sources": [ "S20", "S76", "S69", "S70", "S64" ] }, { "step": "3", "name": "Band", "text": "The points give the band with the published cut-offs for each group. Among drinks, only plain water, and plain tea or coffee (step 4i), can be Everyday.", "status": "sourced", "sources": [ "S70", "S72" ] }, { "step": "4", "name": "Limits", "text": "Each rule in this step sets the best word a food can reach; a food gets the lowest word any rule sets, never a better one than its points give. A lower band doesn't rule a food out.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] }, { "step": "4a", "name": "Starchy staples", "text": "A grain food (bread, cereal, pasta, rice and other grains, flour, crackers, grain snacks), or a food that is mainly white potato, cassava, taro or yam, can be Everyday only if it is whole grain (whole grain is its first grain ingredient; for recipes, at least half the grain is whole grain) or it has at least 1 g of fiber per 10 g of carbohydrate. Otherwise its best band is Most days. Sweet potato counts as a vegetable, not a staple.", "status": "whole grains and the 10:1 ratio are sourced; adding white potato, cassava, taro and yam and the 50% recipe share are our choice", "sources": [ "S70", "S63", "S64", "S65", "S67", "S115", "S116", "S101" ] }, { "step": "4b", "name": "Free-sugar ladder", "text": "Everyday needs free sugars at or under 10% of the food's energy (grams x 4 kcal / kcal per 100 g) and at or under 5 g per 100 g (2.5 g per 100 ml for drinks). Over either, the best band is Most days; when total sugar stands in for an added-sugar value the label does not list, the gram limit alone does not lower the band. Over both, the best band is Sometimes, except a food (not a drink) whose free sugar comes only from fruit or vegetable juice or purée, whose best band is Most days.", "status": "the 10% level is the WHO recommendation and 5 g is the EU and UK \"low sugar\" level; applying them per food and the two steps are our choice", "sources": [ "S20", "S108", "S109", "S66", "S100" ] }, { "step": "4c", "name": "Sweetened-drink limit", "text": "A drink with non-sugar sweeteners gets 4 extra points (as in the published 2023 drinks update) and is Sometimes at best.", "status": "the 4 points are sourced; the band limit is our choice", "sources": [ "S21", "S71", "S72" ] }, { "step": "4d", "name": "Industrial trans fat", "text": "Partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients, or industrial trans fat above 1 g per 100 g of fat (counted from 0.3 g per 100 g of food, in processed foods without dairy, beef, lamb or other animal fat, whose trans fat is natural), puts the food in Rarely.", "status": "the 1 g per 100 g of fat limit is sourced; the 0.3 g floor and the food classes are our choice", "sources": [ "S79", "S19" ] }, { "step": "4e", "name": "Concentrated sugar", "text": "A food with more than 22.5 g of sugar per 100 g (the UK \"high\" level), such as dried fruit, is Most days at best. Its reason says how much sugar a 30 g portion has (the usual portion of dried fruit). A dried fruit whose sugar value is missing counts too.", "status": "the 22.5 g level and the 30 g portion are sourced; the limit is our choice (the evidence on outcomes is insufficient)", "sources": [ "S109", "S110", "S100" ] }, { "step": "4f", "name": "Processed meat", "text": "Processed meat (meat preserved by salting, smoking, fermenting or added nitrite or nitrate, from any animal, poultry included: bacon, ham, sausages, hot dogs, salami, deli meats, jerky) is Once in a while at best. Fish, plant-based products, fresh cuts and mixed dishes are not counted.", "status": "cancer: IARC Group 1 (strong); type 2 diabetes: moderate; the band is our choice", "sources": [ "S102", "S103", "S104", "S113" ] }, { "step": "4g", "name": "Red meat", "text": "Unprocessed red meat (beef, pork, lamb, veal, goat and game; offal included) is Most days at best.", "status": "moderate to weak evidence; US guidelines set no limit, WCRF and the NHS do; the band is our choice (2026-10-15)", "sources": [ "S103", "S113", "S104", "S100" ] }, { "step": "4h", "name": "Fried potatoes", "text": "Fried potato products (french fries, hash browns, tater tots, potato chips and crisps, from white or sweet potato) are Once in a while at best. Boiled, baked and roasted potatoes are not counted.", "status": "moderate evidence (fries, not boiled or baked potatoes); the band is our choice", "sources": [ "S101", "S105", "S100" ] }, { "step": "4i", "name": "Plain tea and coffee", "text": "Plain tea, herbal tea and black coffee (no sugar, no non-sugar sweetener, no milk or cream; at most 10 kcal and 0.5 g of sugar per 100 ml) are Everyday, with the number 95 (plain water is 100). Tea and coffee with caffeine carry a \"Contains caffeine\" badge.", "status": "coffee: moderate, tea: weak evidence (lower type 2 diabetes risk in cohort studies); dietary guidance names them next to water; the number 95 is our choice", "sources": [ "S106", "S107", "S100" ] }, { "step": "4j", "name": "Refined, processed grain foods", "text": "A grain food that fails rule 4a (not whole grain and under 1 g of fiber per 10 g of carbohydrate) and is not a plain cooked grain is Sometimes at best: white bread, rolls and bagels, flour tortillas, crackers, ready-to-eat and other packaged breakfast cereals and bars, pancakes and waffles, bakery items and grain snacks. Plain white rice, pasta, noodles, couscous and grits keep Most days (rule 4a); flours, meals and mixes, corn tortillas, filled doughs and mixed dishes are not counted.", "status": "the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise significantly reducing these foods by name; the band is our choice (score v2, 2026-10-16)", "sources": [ "S100" ] }, { "step": "4k", "name": "Deep-fried foods", "text": "Deep-fried, battered or breaded-and-fried foods (fried chicken and fish, doughnuts, fritters, onion rings, tempura, corn dogs, churros, and packaged foods whose ingredients say they were fried in oil) are Once in a while at best, as fried potatoes are (4h). Stir-fried, pan-fried, oven-fried and air-fried foods, fried rice, refried beans and eggs are not counted.", "status": "moderate observational evidence (fried food and heart disease); the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise swapping deep-frying for other methods; the band is our choice (score v2, 2026-10-16)", "sources": [ "S100", "S140" ] }, { "step": "5", "name": "Badges", "text": "Badges add facts without changing the band: whole grain; high fiber or source of fiber, only when both the EU level per 100 g (6 g / 3 g) and the US level per serving (20% / 10% of the 28 g Daily Value) are met; added or free sugar in grams and as a share of energy; contains sweeteners; contains caffeine; ultra-processed (NOVA 4, when known); low-carb food; industrial trans fat.", "status": "fiber levels are EU and US claim levels; servings are the US reference amounts or the label serving; the low-carb level is our choice", "sources": [ "S66", "S112", "S111", "S98" ] }, { "step": "6", "name": "Enough data?", "text": "If a nutrient the score needs on the \"less favourable\" side (energy, saturated fat, salt, sugar) is missing and could change the band, the food is not scored (\"not enough data\"). If fiber, protein, whole-grain status or the added-sugar line is missing and could change the band, the band is shown as estimated, using the less favourable reading. If both fiber and protein are missing and either could change the band, the food is not scored. A gap that cannot change the band is not flagged.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] }, { "step": "7", "name": "How it is shown", "text": "A number out of 100 and one of five words that say how often the food fits well in everyday eating: Everyday, Most days, Sometimes, Once in a while and Rarely. Up to three reasons in plain words come with them; when a rule in step 4 sets the word, the first reason names it and says what would change it. Under the score, up to 2 short labels name the rules that lowered it (\"PCOS · Sugary drink\"); \"Why this score?\" shows how the number was worked out and every note, with the guideline or official classification behind its rule (step 12). No letters, no traffic-light grades, no \"good\" or \"bad\". A lower band doesn't rule a food out.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] }, { "step": "8", "name": "The number out of 100", "text": "The number is the band, made finer. Each word covers a fixed part of 0-100: Everyday 85-100, Most days 70-84, Sometimes 50-69, Once in a while 30-49, Rarely 0-29. Inside that part, the food's points (step 2) decide where it sits: fewer points, higher number, in equal steps between the published cut-offs of its group. When a limit in step 4 moves a food to a lower word, it keeps its relative place inside that word's part: white rice, at the bottom of Everyday by its points, is at the bottom of Most days (70); Medjool dates, a little higher, are 76. Plain tea and coffee are 95; plain water is 100. Steps 9 to 11 then take points off this number. A higher number means the food fits everyday eating better; it says nothing about you. Numbers within about 5 points of each other are the same in practice.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] }, { "step": "9", "name": "PCOS deductions", "text": "After the limits, five rules take points off the number out of 100. They come on top of the limits, so a food can move down inside its word or into a lower one. Plain water, tea and coffee are never touched.", "status": "each level is sourced; the points are our choice (score v2, 2026-10-16)", "sources": [] }, { "step": "9a", "name": "Added sugar in foods", "text": "A food (not a drink) whose free sugar is more than 10% of its energy loses 10 points with more than 10 g of free sugar per 100 g, and 20 points with more than 22.5 g. A food whose free sugar is only fruit juice or purée is not counted. When a packaged food's label has no added-sugar line, its total sugar counts here only if a sugar is one of its first three ingredients, and in a dairy food the first 5 g per 100 g are counted as milk sugar; for USDA foods without an added-sugar value it never counts.", "status": "WHO: free sugars under 10% of energy (strong recommendation); 10 g: Chile's \"high in sugars\" level for solid foods; 22.5 g: the UK front-of-pack \"high\" level; the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 recommend no amount of added sugars", "sources": [ "S20", "S142", "S109", "S100" ] }, { "step": "9b", "name": "Sugar-sweetened drinks", "text": "A drink with added sugar (sodas, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, sweet tea, flavored milks and sweetened plant drinks; not 100% juice) loses 10 points with more than 2.5 g of sugar per 100 ml, and 20 points with more than 5 g.", "status": "the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks, and WCRF advises drinking mostly water and unsweetened drinks; 2.5 g: the EU and UK \"low sugar\" level for drinks; 5 g: Chile's \"high in sugars\" level for drinks and the UK soft drinks levy's lower band", "sources": [ "S100", "S103", "S145", "S66", "S142", "S143" ] }, { "step": "9c", "name": "100% juice", "text": "100% fruit or vegetable juice with more than 2.5 g of sugar per 100 ml loses 10 points. Its sugar is free sugar (WHO); the sugar inside whole fruit is not.", "status": "the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise limited portions or diluting it with water; the NHS suggests at most 150 ml a day", "sources": [ "S100", "S144", "S20", "S145" ] }, { "step": "9d", "name": "Processed meat", "text": "Processed meat loses 15 points on top of rule 4f.", "status": "IARC Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans); WCRF: eat very little, if any", "sources": [ "S102", "S103", "S104" ] }, { "step": "9e", "name": "Drinks with non-sugar sweeteners", "text": "A drink with non-sugar sweeteners loses 10 points on top of rule 4c.", "status": "the US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise limiting low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners; WHO advises against relying on them for weight control (conditional recommendation)", "sources": [ "S100", "S21" ] }, { "step": "10", "name": "Additives an official body has flagged", "text": "Packaged foods only, read from the ingredient list (names, synonyms, and E and INS numbers) and from Open Food Facts additive tags. Only additives that a regulator removed from food, found not safe or not appropriate for food, or that IARC classifies as probably or possibly carcinogenic when eaten, or that EU law makes carry a warning, are counted. Tier 1: the number is at most 49 (the top of Once in a while). Tier 2: 10 points per flagged family, at most 20 per food; nitrite is not counted again on processed meat. A negation (\"no aspartame\") and an additive added only to the packaging do not count. Each additive, its tier, its official flag and its sources are published with this method.", "status": "every flag is official (EU, FDA, JECFA, IARC, EU labelling law); the tiers and points are our choice (score v2, 2026-10-16)", "sources": [ "S120", "S121", "S122", "S123", "S124", "S125", "S127", "S128", "S131" ] }, { "step": "11", "name": "Floor", "text": "All deductions together (the PCOS deductions and the additives) leave at least one third of the number after the limits, so no food reaches 0 through deductions alone and the order among foods in the lowest word is kept. The tier-1 additive limit (49) applies after the floor.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] }, { "step": "12", "name": "The final word and the notes", "text": "The word is read from the final number (Everyday 85-100, Most days 70-84, Sometimes 50-69, Once in a while 30-49, Rarely 0-29), so the two always agree. Each rule that lowered the score adds a short note: the rule's name, the food's own numbers where the rule has them, and the guideline or official classification behind the rule, with its source. The app shows the first 2 as labels under the score, such as \"PCOS · Sugary drink\" for a food rule and \"Additive · Titanium dioxide\" for an additive (a tier-1 additive first, then the largest PCOS deductions, then the limits, then tier-2 additives). \"Why this score?\" shows how the number was worked out, with only the rules that changed it, and every note. A lower band doesn't rule a food out.", "status": "our choice", "sources": [] } ], "deductions": [ { "code": "added_sugar", "step": "9a", "name": "Added sugar in foods", "applies_to": "foods whose free sugar is over 10% of their energy (not juice- or purée-only)", "points": [ { "above_g_per_100g": 10, "points": 10 }, { "above_g_per_100g": 22.5, "points": 20 } ], "sources": [ "S20", "S142", "S109", "S100" ] }, { "code": "sugary_drink", "step": "9b", "name": "Sugar-sweetened drinks", "applies_to": "drinks with added sugar, flavored milks included; not 100% juice", "points": [ { "above_g_per_100ml": 2.5, "points": 10 }, { "above_g_per_100ml": 5, "points": 20 } ], "sources": [ "S100", "S103", "S145", "S66", "S142", "S143" ] }, { "code": "juice", "step": "9c", "name": "100% juice", "applies_to": "100% fruit or vegetable juice with more than 2.5 g of sugar per 100 ml", "points": [ { "points": 10 } ], "sources": [ "S100", "S144", "S20" ] }, { "code": "processed_meat", "step": "9d", "name": "Processed meat", "applies_to": "processed meat (rule 4f), on top of the limit", "points": [ { "points": 15 } ], "sources": [ "S102", "S103", "S104" ] }, { "code": "sweetened_drink", "step": "9e", "name": "Drinks with non-sugar sweeteners", "applies_to": "drinks with non-sugar sweeteners (rule 4c), on top of the limit", "points": [ { "points": 10 } ], "sources": [ "S100", "S21" ] } ], "additives": { "text": "Only additives an official body has flagged count, and only in packaged foods (USDA single foods and recipes have no ingredient label). Everything else, including additives some apps rate as risky on a precautionary basis, is left out of the score.", "tier1": { "effect": "The number is at most 49 (the top of Once in a while).", "items": [ { "id": "titanium_dioxide", "name": "Titanium dioxide (E171)", "flag": "Banned as a food additive in the EU in 2022, after EFSA concluded it \"can no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive\". Still permitted in the US.", "sources": [ "S120" ] }, { "id": "red_3", "name": "Red 3 (erythrosine, E127)", "flag": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in January 2025; foods must be free of it from January 15, 2027. California bans it from 2027.", "sources": [ "S121", "S126" ] }, { "id": "bvo", "name": "Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)", "flag": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in 2024: \"no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm\". California bans it from 2027.", "sources": [ "S122", "S126" ] }, { "id": "potassium_bromate", "name": "Potassium bromate (bromated flour)", "flag": "JECFA concluded that its use as a flour-treatment agent \"was not appropriate\"; IARC Group 2B; not permitted in the EU; California bans it from 2027.", "sources": [ "S124", "S127", "S126" ] }, { "id": "orange_b", "name": "Orange B", "flag": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in 2026 (its use had been abandoned).", "sources": [ "S123" ] }, { "id": "propylparaben", "name": "Propylparaben (E216)", "flag": "The EU removed it from its permitted food additives in 2006 after EFSA noted effects on sex hormones in juvenile rats. California bans it from 2027.", "sources": [ "S125", "S126" ] } ] }, "tier2": { "effect": "10 points per flagged family, at most 20 per food. Nitrite is not counted again on processed meat.", "items": [ { "id": "nitrite", "name": "Added nitrite or nitrate", "members": [ "sodium nitrite", "potassium nitrite", "sodium nitrate", "potassium nitrate", "celery powder (nitrite source)" ], "flag": "IARC Group 2A: ingested nitrate or nitrite \"under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation\"; EFSA (2023): nitrosamines in food raise a health concern. Not counted again on processed meat, whose own deduction covers it.", "sources": [ "S127", "S133" ] }, { "id": "aspartame", "name": "Aspartame", "members": [ "aspartame" ], "flag": "IARC Group 2B (2023); JECFA kept its acceptable daily intake of 40 mg per kg body weight, and the FDA disagrees with the classification.", "sources": [ "S127", "S128", "S129" ] }, { "id": "bha", "name": "BHA", "members": [ "BHA" ], "flag": "IARC Group 2B; listed under California Proposition 65; the FDA opened a safety reassessment in 2026.", "sources": [ "S127", "S134", "S130" ] }, { "id": "petroleum_dyes", "name": "Petroleum-based dyes", "members": [ "Red 40", "Yellow 5", "Yellow 6", "Blue 1", "Blue 2", "Green 3", "Citrus Red 2", "Quinoline yellow (E104)", "Carmoisine (E122)", "Ponceau 4R (E124)" ], "flag": "The US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 advise limiting foods with petroleum-based dyes; in the EU, foods with Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, E104, E122 or E124 must carry the warning \"may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children\"; the FDA asked for a voluntary phase-out. All of them count as one family.", "sources": [ "S100", "S131", "S132" ] } ] }, "not_counted": [ { "name": "Caramel colour", "why": "Its concern (4-MEI, IARC Group 2B) applies only to classes III and IV, and US labels never say which class is used." }, { "name": "BHT and azodicarbonamide", "why": "The FDA opened reviews in 2026; there is no official flag yet." }, { "name": "TBHQ", "why": "No official flag found." }, { "name": "Sucralose and acesulfame K", "why": "The sweetened-drink rules (4c, 9e) already cover non-sugar sweeteners in drinks; no IARC classification." }, { "name": "MSG, phosphates, carrageenan, sulphites, benzoates, sorbates and emulsifiers", "why": "No regulator ban, IARC Group 2A or 2B classification or warning label for adults." } ], "detection": "Read from the US ingredient statement (names, synonyms, E and INS numbers) and Open Food Facts additive tags. Reading 412 matches by hand found 1 false positive, since fixed; the reading finds 96.6% of the additives Open Food Facts tags. Celery powder or juice counts as a nitrite source only in processed meat, or when the label says \"uncured\"." }, "floor": { "share": 0.3333333333333333, "text": "All deductions together leave at least one third of the number after the limits (rounded); the tier-1 additive limit of 49 applies after it." }, "notes": { "labels": { "pcos": "PCOS", "additive": "Additive" }, "separator": " · ", "shown": 2, "order": "tier-1 additives first, then the PCOS deductions by size, then the limits that lowered the score, then tier-2 additives (a family not counted, such as nitrite in processed meat, last)", "wording": "Each note has a short name, one line of about 20 words with the food's own numbers where the rule has them and what the guideline or official body says, attributed to it, and its source. Notes never say a food is bad, unsafe or to be avoided, and make no claim about hormones, insulin or inflammation.", "examples": [ { "kind": "pcos", "code": "added_sugar", "label": "PCOS · Added sugar", "short": "Added sugar", "text": "82 g per 100 g, 100% of its energy. WHO advises keeping free sugars under 10% of daily energy.", "source": "WHO guideline on sugars (2015)" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "juice_sugar_food", "label": "PCOS · Juice sugar", "short": "Juice sugar", "text": "9.4 g per 100 g from juice or purée, 89% of its energy. WHO counts juice sugar as free sugar.", "source": "WHO guideline on sugars (2015)" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "sugary_drink", "label": "PCOS · Sugary drink", "short": "Sugary drink", "text": "About 39 g added sugar in a 355 ml serving (11 g per 100 ml). US guidelines advise avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "juice", "label": "PCOS · 100% juice", "short": "100% juice", "text": "8.4 g sugar per 100 ml. US guidelines advise limited portions; the NHS suggests at most 150 ml a day.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030; NHS" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "sweetened_drink", "label": "PCOS · Sweeteners", "short": "Sweeteners", "text": "Contains non-sugar sweeteners. US guidelines advise limiting them; WHO advises against using them for weight control.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030; WHO (2023)" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "processed_meat", "label": "PCOS · Processed meat", "short": "Processed meat", "text": "IARC classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1); WCRF advises eating very little, if any.", "source": "IARC, the WHO cancer agency (2015); World Cancer Research Fund" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "red_meat", "label": "PCOS · Red meat", "short": "Red meat", "text": "WCRF advises no more than about three portions (350–500 g cooked) a week.", "source": "World Cancer Research Fund" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "refined_grain", "label": "PCOS · Refined grain", "short": "Refined grain", "text": "1.8 g fiber per 31 g carbs, under 1 g per 10 g. US guidelines advise prioritizing fiber-rich whole grains.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "refined_starch", "label": "PCOS · Low-fiber starch", "short": "Low-fiber starch", "text": "2.3 g fiber per 24 g carbs, under the American Heart Association's whole-grain mark of 1 g per 10 g.", "source": "American Heart Association" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "processed_carb", "label": "PCOS · Processed grain", "short": "Processed grain", "text": "US guidelines advise significantly reducing refined carbs such as white bread, packaged breakfast foods, flour tortillas and crackers.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "fried", "label": "PCOS · Fried food", "short": "Fried food", "text": "US guidelines advise swapping deep-frying for baking, broiling, roasting, stir-frying or grilling.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "concentrated_sugar", "label": "PCOS · Concentrated sugar", "short": "Concentrated sugar", "text": "66 g sugar per 100 g, about 20 g in a 30 g portion. UK labels call over 22.5 g high.", "source": "UK front-of-pack labelling guidance; NHS" }, { "kind": "pcos", "code": "industrial_trans_fat", "label": "PCOS · Trans fat", "short": "Trans fat", "text": "Contains partially hydrogenated oil. The FDA ruled it no longer generally recognized as safe.", "source": "US FDA (2015)" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "titanium_dioxide", "label": "Additive · Titanium dioxide", "short": "Titanium dioxide", "text": "The EU banned it in 2022 after EFSA concluded it \"can no longer be considered safe\". Still allowed in the US.", "source": "EFSA (2021); EU Regulation 2022/63" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "red_3", "label": "Additive · Red 3", "short": "Red 3", "text": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in January 2025, effective January 15, 2027.", "source": "US FDA (2025)" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "bvo", "label": "Additive · Brominated oil", "short": "Brominated oil", "text": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in 2024, finding \"no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm\".", "source": "US FDA (2024)" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "orange_b", "label": "Additive · Orange B", "short": "Orange B", "text": "The FDA revoked its authorization for food in 2026.", "source": "US FDA (2026)" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "potassium_bromate", "label": "Additive · Potassium bromate", "short": "Potassium bromate", "text": "Not permitted in the EU. IARC classifies it as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).", "source": "EU food additive rules; IARC, the WHO cancer agency" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "propylparaben", "label": "Additive · Propylparaben", "short": "Propylparaben", "text": "The EU removed it from its permitted food additives in 2006. California bans it from 2027.", "source": "EU Directive 2006/52/EC; California AB 418" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "nitrite", "label": "Additive · Nitrite or nitrate", "short": "Nitrite or nitrate", "text": "Contains sodium nitrite. IARC classifies ingested nitrite or nitrate, under some conditions, as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).", "source": "IARC, the WHO cancer agency" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "aspartame", "label": "Additive · Aspartame", "short": "Aspartame", "text": "IARC classified it as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) in 2023; JECFA kept its intake limit and the FDA disagrees.", "source": "IARC and JECFA (WHO, 2023); US FDA" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "bha", "label": "Additive · BHA", "short": "BHA", "text": "IARC classifies it as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B); the FDA opened a safety review in 2026.", "source": "IARC, the WHO cancer agency; US FDA (2026)" }, { "kind": "additive", "code": "petroleum_dyes", "label": "Additive · Synthetic dyes", "short": "Synthetic dyes", "text": "Red 40 and Yellow 5 are petroleum-based dyes. US guidelines advise limiting foods with them.", "source": "US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030" } ] }, "number": { "text": "A whole number from 0 to 100 shown with the word. It comes from the same points and the same word, so the two always agree: Everyday 85-100, Most days 70-84, Sometimes 50-69, Once in a while 30-49, Rarely 0-29.", "ranges": [ { "band": 1, "label": "Everyday", "min": 85, "max": 100 }, { "band": 2, "label": "Most days", "min": 70, "max": 84 }, { "band": 3, "label": "Sometimes", "min": 50, "max": 69 }, { "band": 4, "label": "Once in a while", "min": 30, "max": 49 }, { "band": 5, "label": "Rarely", "min": 0, "max": 29 } ], "how": [ "Inside a word, the number moves in equal steps with the points, between the published cut-offs of the food's group (fewer points, higher number).", "The open ends use fixed extremes: general foods, cheese and red meat -15 points or fewer give 100 and 40 or more give 0; fats, oils, nuts and seeds -15 and 35; drinks -6 points or fewer give 84 (only plain water is Everyday) and 25 or more give 0.", "The number is rounded to a whole number.", "When a limit in step 4 moves a food to a lower word, the food keeps its relative place: its position inside its own word's range is carried to the lower word's range (then rounded), so the number never disagrees with the word and capped foods are not all pinned at the top of the lower range.", "Plain tea, herbal tea and black coffee are 95. Plain water is 100.", "Numbers within about 5 points of each other are the same in practice: food data are not that precise. Compare similar foods." ], "curves": { "note": "Points -> number anchors, straight lines in between.", "general_cheese_red_meat": "-15 -> 100, 0 -> 85, 2 -> 70, 10 -> 50, 18 -> 30, 40 -> 0", "fat_oil_nut_seed": "-15 -> 100, -6 -> 85, 2 -> 70, 10 -> 50, 18 -> 30, 35 -> 0", "beverage": "-6 -> 84, 2 -> 70, 6 -> 50, 9 -> 30, 25 -> 0" } }, "groups": { "general": "All foods not in another group, including poultry, fish, eggs, yogurt, grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes, sauces and mixed dishes.", "fat_oil_nut_seed": "Oils, butter, margarine and other fats; nuts, peanuts, seeds and their butters. Scored on energy from saturated fat and the share of saturated fat in the fat. Olive, canola (rapeseed) and walnut oils count toward fruit, vegetables and legumes, as in the published method.", "cheese": "Cheese, including cream cheese and cottage cheese. Protein always counts.", "red_meat": "Beef, pork, lamb, veal, goat, game and their products (bacon, ham, sausages). Protein points stop at 2.", "beverage": "Drinks, including milk, plant drinks, juices, tea and coffee. Drinks have their own stricter tables, and only plain water, and plain tea or coffee (step 4i), can be Everyday.", "water": "Plain still, sparkling or mineral water. Always Everyday (100)." }, "point_tables": { "note": "One point for each threshold the value is above (for the saturated-fat share: at or above). Energy in kJ (kcal x 4.184); salt = sodium x 2.5. Per 100 g, or 100 ml for drinks.", "kj_per_kcal": 4.184, "kj_per_g_saturated_fat": 37, "salt_per_sodium": 2.5, "general": { "energy_kj": [ 335, 670, 1005, 1340, 1675, 2010, 2345, 2680, 3015, 3350 ], "free_sugars_g": [ 3.4, 6.8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31, 34, 37, 41, 44, 48, 51 ], "saturated_fat_g": [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ], "salt_g": [ 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 4 ], "protein_g": [ 2.4, 4.8, 7.2, 9.6, 12, 14, 17 ], "fiber_g": [ 3, 4.1, 5.2, 6.3, 7.4 ], "fruit_vegetables_legumes_pct": [ 40, 60, 80, 80, 80 ] }, "fat_oil_nut_seed": { "energy_from_saturated_fat_kj": [ 120, 240, 360, 480, 600, 720, 840, 960, 1080, 1200 ], "saturated_fat_share_of_fat_pct": [ 10, 16, 22, 28, 34, 40, 46, 52, 58, 64 ], "free_sugars_g": [ 3.4, 6.8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31, 34, 37, 41, 44, 48, 51 ], "salt_g": [ 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 4 ], "protein_g": [ 2.4, 4.8, 7.2, 9.6, 12, 14, 17 ], "fiber_g": [ 3, 4.1, 5.2, 6.3, 7.4 ], "fruit_vegetables_legumes_pct": [ 40, 60, 80, 80, 80 ] }, "beverage": { "energy_kj": [ 30, 90, 150, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, 360, 390 ], "free_sugars_g": [ 0.5, 2, 3.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ], "saturated_fat_g": [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ], "salt_g": [ 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 4 ], "non_sugar_sweeteners_points": 4, "protein_g": [ 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.7, 3 ], "fiber_g": [ 3, 4.1, 5.2, 6.3, 7.4 ], "fruit_vegetables_legumes_pct": [ 40, 40, 60, 60, 80, 80 ] }, "protein_rule": "Protein points count only while the \"less favourable\" points are below 11 (7 for fats, oils, nuts and seeds); for cheese and drinks protein always counts; red meat protein points stop at 2.", "non_sugar_sweetener_e_numbers": [ "950", "951", "952", "954", "955", "956", "957", "959", "960", "961", "962", "969" ] }, "band_cutoffs": { "note": "Upper bound of points for bands 1-4; above the last value is band 5.", "general_cheese_red_meat": [ 0, 2, 10, 18 ], "fat_oil_nut_seed": [ -6, 2, 10, 18 ], "beverage": { "band_1": "plain water only", "bands_2_to_4": [ 2, 6, 9 ] } }, "thresholds": { "free_sugar_energy_share_max": 0.1, "free_sugar_low_g_100g": 5, "free_sugar_low_g_100ml_drink": 2.5, "free_sugar_cap_best_band": 2, "free_sugar_high_cap_best_band": 3, "juice_sugar_cap_best_band": 2, "whole_grain_max_carb_to_fiber": 10, "refined_grain_cap_best_band": 2, "sweetened_drink_cap_best_band": 3, "industrial_trans_fat_max_g_per_100g_fat": 1, "industrial_trans_fat_min_g_100g": 0.3, "industrial_trans_fat_band": 5, "concentrated_sugar_g_100g": 22.5, "concentrated_sugar_cap_best_band": 2, "concentrated_sugar_portion_g": 30, "processed_meat_cap_best_band": 4, "red_meat_cap_best_band": 2, "fried_potato_cap_best_band": 4, "plain_tea_coffee_score": 95, "plain_tea_coffee_max_kcal_100ml": 10, "plain_tea_coffee_max_sugars_g_100ml": 0.5, "plain_tea_coffee_max_fat_g_100ml": 0.5, "kcal_per_g_sugar": 4, "high_fiber_g_100g": 6, "source_of_fiber_g_100g": 3, "fiber_daily_value_g": 28, "high_fiber_dv_share_per_serving": 0.2, "source_of_fiber_dv_share_per_serving": 0.1, "low_carb_available_g_100g": 5, "high_sat_fat_g_100g": 5, "high_sat_fat_g_100ml_drink": 2.5, "high_sodium_mg_100g": 600, "high_sodium_mg_100ml_drink": 300, "processed_grain_cap_best_band": 3, "deep_fried_cap_best_band": 4, "added_sugar_food_high_g_100g": 10, "added_sugar_food_very_high_g_100g": 22.5, "sugary_drink_high_g_100ml": 2.5, "sugary_drink_very_high_g_100ml": 5, "sugar_high_points": 10, "sugar_very_high_points": 20, "juice_min_sugar_g_100ml": 2.5, "juice_points": 10, "processed_meat_points": 15, "sweetened_drink_points": 10, "dairy_lactose_allowance_g_100g": 5, "additive_tier1_max_score": 49, "additive_tier2_points": 10, "additive_tier2_max_points": 20, "deduction_floor_share": 0.3333333333333333 }, "data_rules": { "free_sugar_sources": [ "Packaged foods: the label's added sugars; plus the total sugar when a juice, purée or concentrate is the first ingredient or the product is a fruit purée, pulp or applesauce (an all-fruit one also gets the fruit credit); drinks other than milk drinks: total sugar.", "Packaged foods without an added-sugar line: 0 when the ingredient list has no sugar, syrup, honey, juice or purée of any kind (US labels must list every ingredient); fruit or vegetables packed in juice with no other sugar or sweetener: about 40% of the sugar (the juice part), estimated, as for USDA rows; otherwise the total sugar, shown as estimated when it matters.", "USDA survey foods (FNDDS): added sugars from the USDA Food Patterns Equivalents Database.", "USDA single foods (SR Legacy, Foundation): added sugars from USDA's pattern databases where available; plain single foods have none; sugars, syrups, honey and jams count in full; fruit and vegetable juices, purées and pastes count in full; fruit and vegetables canned in juice count about 40% of their sugar (the juice part), shown as estimated.", "USDA single foods whose description says no sugar was added (\"without added sugar\", \"no sugar added\") have none: under US rules that claim means no sugars or sugar-containing ingredients were added (21 CFR 101.60), so their sugar is the food's own (score v2; before it, stewed prunes were held at Sometimes by their total sugar). A description that names a separate sweet part, such as a sauce or a cone, keeps the total-sugar reading." ], "representative_foods": [ "When one row has to stand for a plain staple (a search for \"rice\", \"oats\", \"potatoes\" or \"lentils\", the chat's food look-up, the meal planner's recipes), it is the USDA single-food row cooked without salt. USDA's survey foods (FNDDS) assume salted cooking water, which puts white rice at 68 instead of 70 and brown rice in a lower band; they still score as listed when you choose them." ], "fiber_serving": [ "The fiber wording checks a serving: the US reference amount for the food's kind (21 CFR 101.12: for example 90 g of cooked beans, 140 g of cooked rice or pasta, 30 g of nuts, 40 g of dried fruit, 50 g of bread), or the label serving for packaged foods. With no known serving there is no fiber claim; the reason gives the grams per 100 g." ], "derived_values": [ "Sugar, fiber and saturated fat are 0 when their parent (carbohydrate or fat) is 0.", "Sodium is read as 0 in foods that are at least 98 g fat per 100 g (pure fats).", "Plain single oils whose USDA record lists only the fatty acids are completed as 884 kcal and 100 g fat per 100 g, as every other USDA oil record reads.", "Energy, when missing, is estimated from protein, carbohydrate and fat (4/4/9 kcal per g, fiber 2) and the band is shown as estimated if that could change it." ] }, "not_scored": [ { "code": "not_scored_alcohol", "text": "Alcoholic drinks are not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_infant_food", "text": "Baby foods and infant formula are not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_supplement", "text": "Supplements are not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_seasoning", "text": "Herbs, spices, salt and baking ingredients are used in small amounts, so they are not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_sweetener", "text": "Table-top sweeteners are used in small amounts, so they are not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_chewing_gum", "text": "Chewing gum is not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_dry_mix", "text": "Mixes and concentrates are scored as prepared, and this entry describes the dry or concentrated product, so it is not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_dry_tea_coffee", "text": "Tea and coffee are scored as brewed drinks, and this entry describes the dry product, so it is not scored." } ], "plausibility": { "text": "Foods whose label lists an impossible value are not scored, because a number that cannot be true would decide the band either way: any nutrient above 100 g per 100 g, energy above 950 kcal, sodium above 40 g, protein + carbs + fat above 105 g, saturated fat above total fat, or sugar above total carbohydrate (with small rounding margins).", "limits": { "max_g_per_100g": 100, "max_kcal_per_100g": 950, "max_sodium_mg_per_100g": 40000, "max_macros_g_per_100g": 105, "sat_over_fat_factor": 1.05, "sugars_over_carbs_factor": 1.05, "slack_g": 0.5, "slack_kcal": 0 } }, "keyword_lists": { "free_sugar_ingredients": "sugar (any kind: cane, beet, brown, coconut, invert, powdered, raw...), any syrup (corn, high-fructose corn, glucose, rice, maple, agave, tapioca, malt...), honey, molasses, treacle, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, trehalose, isomaltulose, added lactose, nectar, evaporated cane juice, jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, caramel (not caramel color), frosting, icing, candy, sweetened ingredients, condensed milk, malt extract or syrup, panela, jaggery, date paste or syrup, chocolate (not unsweetened)", "juice_and_puree_ingredients": "fruit or vegetable juices and juice concentrates; fruit or vegetable purées, pastes and pulps; applesauce, fruit sauces, fruit leathers and fruit butters", "non_sugar_sweeteners": "acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamate, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia / steviol glycosides / rebaudioside, monk fruit (luo han guo, mogrosides), thaumatin, neohesperidine DC, and E950-E969 sweetener numbers. Not counted: polyols (erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, isomalt, mannitol, lactitol) and allulose", "industrial_trans_fat": "partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients; or trans fat above 1 g per 100 g of fat in a food with no dairy, beef, lamb or goat fat (their trans fat is natural)", "whole_grain": "whole grain is the first grain ingredient: whole wheat, whole grain anything, brown, wild, black or red rice, oats, oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, sorghum, teff, bulgur, popcorn, graham, sprouted whole grains, wheat berries, farro, freekeh, kamut, hulled barley; or, for recipes, at least half of the grain weight is whole grain", "refined_grain": "enriched, bleached or white flour, white rice, degermed corn, pearled barley, semolina, and bran or fiber on its own", "grain_foods": "bread, rolls, tortillas, breakfast cereal, oatmeal, pasta, noodles, rice and other grains, flour, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, grain-based chips and bars, pancakes, waffles, baked goods", "not_scored": "alcoholic drinks; infant formula and baby foods; supplements; herbs, spices, salt, seasoning blends, baking powder and extracts; table-top sweeteners; chewing gum; dry drink mixes, drink concentrates (frozen juice concentrates included), bouillon, soup and sauce bases, condensed soups and dry tea or coffee (they are scored as prepared, which this data does not describe)", "starchy_staples": "grain foods (above), and foods that are mainly white potato, cassava (yuca), taro, true yam or yautia: plain, mashed, roasted, potato salads, potato and cassava flours. Not counted: sweet potato (a vegetable), taro and sweet-potato leaves and shoots, soups, filled doughs and mixed meals", "processed_meat": "meat preserved by salting, smoking, fermenting or added nitrite or nitrate, from any animal, poultry included: bacon (turkey bacon too), ham, sausages, hot dogs and franks, salami, pepperoni, bologna, pastrami, corned beef, jerky and meat sticks, deli and luncheon meats, pâté and liver sausage; every food in USDA's sausage, luncheon-meat, cold-cut and bacon categories (frozen meatballs excepted); packaged meat whose first ingredient is meat and whose list or name shows nitrite, nitrate, celery powder or smoking (products labelled \"uncured\" included), and packaged bacon, ham and other processed-meat names whose ingredient list opens with the preserving step and its agents (water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite) rather than the meat. Not counted: fish (smoked salmon is fish), plant-based look-alikes, fresh cuts such as ribs, meatballs, burgers and ground meat, and mixed dishes (sandwiches, pizza, soups, kits, dinners)", "red_meat": "unprocessed meat of mammals (beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, goat, bison, venison and other game), offal included, as a food of its own; poultry, fish and mixed dishes are not counted", "fried_potato": "french fries (oven-baked frozen fries too: they are fried before freezing), hash browns, tater tots, potato puffs, home fries, potato pancakes and latkes, potato chips, crisps and sticks, from white or sweet potato. Not counted: baked or popped chips, roasted or boiled potatoes, and fries of other vegetables", "plain_tea_coffee": "brewed or ready-to-drink tea, herbal tea and black coffee (espresso and cold brew too) with no sugar or syrup of any kind, no non-sugar sweetener and no milk or cream, at most 10 kcal, 0.5 g sugar and 0.5 g fat per 100 ml; flavoured but unsweetened teas count. Herbal and decaffeinated drinks carry no caffeine badge", "caffeine": "the badge shows on plain tea and coffee, on coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks by name (not decaffeinated or herbal ones), and on any food whose ingredients list caffeine, guarana, yerba mate or a coffee or tea extract", "processed_grain_foods": "grain foods that fail the whole-grain and fiber test and are not a plain cooked grain: white bread, rolls, buns and bagels, flour tortillas, crackers, ready-to-eat and other packaged breakfast cereals and bars, pancakes and waffles, bakery items, pretzels and other grain snacks. Not counted: plain rice, pasta, noodles, couscous, grits and hot cereals, flours, meals and mixes, batters and wrappers, corn tortillas, filled doughs (ravioli, dumplings, pierogi) and mixed dishes", "deep_fried": "foods named as deep-fried, fried, french-fried, batter-fried, par-fried or flash-fried, doughnuts, fritters, onion rings, tempura, hush puppies, corn dogs, churros, funnel cakes, chimichangas, beignets and fried pies, and packaged foods whose ingredients say they were fried in oil (par-fried or pre-fried breaded chicken, fried snacks). Not counted: stir-fried, pan-fried, oven-fried and air-fried foods, refried beans, fried rice, eggs and omelets, baked or popped snacks, mixes and breadings, fried onions or garlic as an ingredient, and flavours named after a fried food. Fried potatoes have their own rule", "sugar_sweetened_drinks": "drinks other than plain tea, coffee and 100% juice whose added sugar is 1 g or more per 100 ml, or whose ingredients list a sugar or syrup of any kind (lactose from milk excepted): sodas, fruit drinks, lemonades, sports and energy drinks, sweet tea, flavored and sweetened milks and plant drinks. With neither known, the name decides (soda, cola, lemonade, punch, fruit drink, cocktail, nectar, sports or energy drink, sweet tea, sweetened), unless it says diet, sugar-free, zero or unsweetened", "juice": "100% fruit or vegetable juice: a drink named as juice (not a drink, cocktail, punch, nectar, smoothie, soda, sweetened or flavored one, unless it says 100%) with no added sugar and no sugar or non-sugar sweetener in its ingredients", "flagged_additives": "tier 1 (score at most 49): titanium dioxide (E171), Red 3 (erythrosine, E127), brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate and bromated flour, Orange B, propylparaben (E216, E217). Tier 2 (10 points per family, at most 20): added nitrite or nitrate (sodium or potassium nitrite or nitrate, E249-E252, and celery powder or juice used as a nitrite source in meat), aspartame (E951, E962), BHA (E320), petroleum-based dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Citrus Red 2, E104, E122, E124). Read from the ingredient list by name, synonym and E or INS number, and from Open Food Facts additive tags; a negation (\"no aspartame\") or a packaging-only line (\"BHT added to packaging\") does not count" }, "reason_codes": [ { "code": "industrial_trans_fat", "example": "Industrial trans fat: contains partially hydrogenated oil. Versions without it can rate higher." }, { "code": "processed_meat", "example": "Processed meat: Once in a while at best. Unprocessed poultry, fish or meat can rate higher." }, { "code": "fried_potato", "example": "Fried potato: Once in a while at best. Boiled or baked potatoes can rate higher." }, { "code": "fried", "example": "Deep-fried: Once in a while at best. Baked, grilled or roasted versions can rate higher." }, { "code": "processed_carb", "example": "Refined, processed grain food: Sometimes at best. Whole-grain versions can rate higher." }, { "code": "free_sugar", "example": "Added sugar: 25% of its energy (6.7 g per 100 g). Under 10% of its energy, or 5 g or less, it can be Most days.", "note": "when the free-sugar rule sets the word; otherwise a fact such as \"Added sugar is 45% of its energy (18 g per 100 g)\"" }, { "code": "sweetened_drink", "example": "Non-sugar sweeteners: drinks with them are Sometimes at best. Unsweetened drinks can rate higher." }, { "code": "red_meat", "example": "Red meat: Most days at best. Poultry, fish, eggs or beans can be Everyday." }, { "code": "concentrated_sugar", "example": "Concentrated sugar: 66 g per 100 g, about 20 g in a 30 g portion. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be Everyday." }, { "code": "refined_grain", "example": "Refined grain: under 1 g fiber per 10 g carbs. Whole-grain versions can be Everyday." }, { "code": "refined_starch", "example": "Starchy vegetable: under 1 g fiber per 10 g carbs. With 1 g or more per 10 g it can be Everyday." }, { "code": "plain_tea_coffee", "example": "Plain tea: no sugar, sweetener or milk" }, { "code": "sat_fat", "example": "High in saturated fat: 21 g per 100 g" }, { "code": "sodium", "example": "High in sodium: 720 mg per 100 g" }, { "code": "energy_dense", "example": "Energy-dense: 520 kcal per 100 g", "note": "the only calorie-language reason; always ranked last; the app may hide it on the not-weight-focused path" }, { "code": "drink_not_water", "example": "Among drinks, only water and plain tea or coffee are rated Everyday" }, { "code": "whole_grain", "example": "Whole grain" }, { "code": "fiber", "example": "High in fiber: 7.9 g per 100 g", "note": "\"High in fiber\" or \"Source of fiber\" only when both the EU level per 100 g and the US level per serving are met; otherwise \"Fiber: ...\"" }, { "code": "protein", "example": "Protein: 20 g per 100 g" }, { "code": "fruit_veg_legumes", "example": "Mostly fruit, vegetables or legumes" }, { "code": "unsaturated_fat", "example": "Mostly unsaturated fat (14% saturated)" }, { "code": "natural_sugar", "example": "Its sugar is natural, not added (12 g per 100 g)" }, { "code": "low_in_limits", "example": "Low in saturated fat, sodium and added sugar" }, { "code": "no_added_sugar", "example": "No added sugar" }, { "code": "water", "example": "Plain water" }, { "code": "insufficient_data", "example": "Not enough nutrition data to score this food." }, { "code": "missing_", "example": "Sodium is missing." }, { "code": "implausible_data", "example": "The nutrition data for this food looks wrong, so it is not scored." }, { "code": "not_scored_", "example": "Alcoholic drinks are not scored." } ], "not_in_the_score": [ "Glycemic index or glycemic load numbers (no openly licensed data; weak PCOS-specific evidence).", "Additives no official body has flagged (caramel colour, BHT, TBHQ, MSG, phosphates, carrageenan, sulphites, benzoates, sorbates, emulsifiers), and precautionary additive lists: only the additives in step 10 count.", "Inflammation, hormone or insulin-response scores (no validated method).", "Penalties for dairy, soy or gluten (insufficient evidence).", "A protein bonus beyond the published protein points.", "Personal adjustments from lab results or medication." ], "data_sources": [ { "name": "USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, Foundation, FNDDS survey foods, Branded foods)", "license": "Public domain (CC0 1.0)", "url": "https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/" }, { "name": "USDA Food Patterns Equivalents Database (added sugars for survey foods)", "license": "Public domain", "url": "https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/food-surveys-research-group/docs/fped-overview/" }, { "name": "Open Food Facts", "license": "Open Database License (ODbL); © Open Food Facts contributors", "url": "https://world.openfoodfacts.org/", "note": "Data may contain errors and must not be used for medical purposes; check the package label." } ], "sources": [ { "id": "S1", "citation": "Teede HJ et al. 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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (January 2026).", "url": "https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf" }, { "id": "S101", "citation": "Mousavi SM et al. Potato consumption, by preparation method, and risk of type 2 diabetes. BMJ 2025.", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082121" }, { "id": "S102", "citation": "International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs volume 114: consumption of red meat and processed meat, questions and answers.", "url": "https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Monographs-QA_Vol114.pdf" }, { "id": "S103", "citation": "World Cancer Research Fund. Limit red and processed meat (Cancer Prevention Recommendations).", "url": "https://www.wcrf.org/research-policy/evidence-for-our-recommendations/limit-red-processed-meat/" }, { "id": "S104", "citation": "Li C et al. Meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: a federated meta-analysis of 1.97 million adults (InterConnect). 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Nutrient Profile Model (2016), p. 17: free sugars at or above 10% of total energy.", "url": "https://paho.org/sites/default/files/9789275118733_eng.pdf" }, { "id": "S109", "citation": "UK Department of Health and Food Standards Agency. Guide to creating a front of pack nutrition label for pre-packed products (2016): \"high\" sugars above 22.5 g per 100 g, \"low\" at or under 5 g.", "url": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80cd03ed915d74e33fc7c5/FoP_Nutrition_labelling_UK_guidance.pdf" }, { "id": "S110", "citation": "NHS. 5 A Day portion sizes: 30 g of dried fruit is one portion.", "url": "https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/portion-sizes/" }, { "id": "S111", "citation": "21 CFR 101.12: reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion.", "url": "https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/101.12" }, { "id": "S112", "citation": "21 CFR 101.54: nutrient content claims for \"good source\" and \"high\".", "url": "https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/101.54" }, { "id": "S113", "citation": "NHS. Red meat and the risk of bowel cancer (cut down to 70 g a day or less).", "url": "https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/" }, { "id": "S115", "citation": "Reynolds A et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet 2019;393(10170):434-445.", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9" }, { "id": "S116", "citation": "World Health Organization. Carbohydrate intake for adults and children: WHO guideline (2023).", "url": "https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/370420" }, { "id": "S120", "citation": "Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 amending Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as regards titanium dioxide (E 171).", "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/63/oj" }, { "id": "S121", "citation": "US Food and Drug Administration. Listing of color additives: FD&C Red No. 3 (order revoking its authorization in food). 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Federal Register 91 FR 6227 (Feb 2026).", "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/91-FR-6227" }, { "id": "S131", "citation": "Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex V: foods with E 110, E 104, E 122, E 129, E 102 or E 124 carry the warning \"may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children\".", "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj" }, { "id": "S132", "citation": "US Department of Health and Human Services and FDA. HHS and FDA to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the nation's food supply (press release, 22 Apr 2025).", "url": "https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/hhs-fda-phase-out-petroleum-based-synthetic-dyes-nations-food-supply" }, { "id": "S133", "citation": "EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain. Risk assessment of N-nitrosamines in food. 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