Full Transparency
We believe you deserve to know exactly how we arrive at every score we show you. This page documents our complete methodology — every formula, every data source, every limitation. Nothing hidden.
Last updated: April 2026 · Version 2.0
IngredScan is an informational tool only. We do not make health claims about specific foods, brands, or products. All information is sourced from official regulatory bodies. Risk classifications reflect our interpretation of publicly available data. They are not medical advice.
The Quality Score is a number from 0 to 10 that combines four weighted components:
Quality Score = A + B + C + D
A = Nutritional Quality (max 5.0 — 50%)
B = Processing Level (max 2.5 — 25%)
C = Additive Safety (max 2.0 — 20%)
D = Organic Certification (max 0.5 — 5%)
Total possible: 10.0
Based on the Nutri-Score algorithm, a science-based nutrition scoring system used by 7+ European countries and endorsed by WHO's IARC. Measures energy, saturated fat, sugars, sodium (negative) against fibre, protein, and fruit/vegetable content (positive) per 100g.
If nutritional data is unavailable, we contribute 2.5 points (neutral midpoint) and show a data warning.
Based on the NOVA classification system developed by Professor Carlos Monteiro at the University of São Paulo.
Starts at 2.0 (full marks). Deductions: -0.4 per high-concern additive, -0.15 per medium-concern, -0.3 additional for UK mandatory warning label additives. Based on UK FSA and EFSA published positions. Every additive links to its official source.
+0.5 for official organic certification (Soil Association, EU Organic, USDA Organic). +0.25 for products labelled no artificial colours/flavours/preservatives without full organic status.
Fresh Apple
Nutri-Score A · NOVA 1 · Additives: None · Organic: No
5 + 2.5 + 2 + 0 = 9.5 (Excellent)
Organic Sourdough
Nutri-Score B · NOVA 3 · Additives: None · Organic: Yes
4 + 1.5 + 2 + 0.5 = 8 (Good)
Breakfast Cereal
Nutri-Score B · NOVA 4 · Additives: 1 medium · Organic: No
4 + 0.5 + 1.85 + 0 = 6.35 (Fair)
Fizzy Drink
Nutri-Score E · NOVA 4 · Additives: 3 medium · Organic: No
1 + 0.5 + 1.55 + 0 = 3.05 (Poor)
Shown separately from the Quality Score because processing and nutrition tell different stories. A product can be nutritionally decent but heavily processed, or minimally processed but high in sugar.
NOVA scores from Open Food Facts are used where available. Otherwise estimated from ingredient lists and labelled "Estimated".
Some categories are excluded: infant formula, medical nutritional products, and supplements show official guidance instead of scores.
Every additive is shown individually with a risk level and source link. Levels are based on published positions of the UK FSA and EFSA.
Since Brexit, UK and EU additive regulations are independent. Where they differ (e.g. E171 Titanium Dioxide), we show both positions.
Not medical advice
Scores are informational. Consult a professional for health conditions or allergies.
Data can be incomplete
Open Food Facts is community-maintained. We show a confidence percentage so you know data reliability.
NOVA has limitations
NOVA classifies processing method, not health impact. Some NOVA 4 foods are nutritionally excellent.
Regulation evolves
We review additive data regularly but may not reflect very recent decisions. Check food.gov.uk for the latest.
Brands and manufacturers can email support@ingredscan.com with the product barcode and evidence of incorrect data. We review all challenges within 14 business days. Scores are not changed based on commercial considerations — our methodology applies equally to all products.
Consumers can use the "Report an issue" button on any scan result page.
Version 2.0 — April 2026
Four-component scoring: Nutritional quality (50% via Nutri-Score), Processing level (25% via NOVA), Additives (20%), Organic (5%). Beverage-specific sugar thresholds. Score breakdown UI.
Version 1.0 — March 2026
Initial launch. Score based primarily on additive presence with Nutri-Score and NOVA as modifiers.
IngredScan sources product data from Open Food Facts and Open Beauty Facts, two open-source community databases. While we cannot guarantee the absolute reliability of all product data, we take the following steps:
Automated data quality checks
Our system automatically flags incomplete or inconsistent entries — such as missing ingredient lists, implausible nutrient values, or unrecognised ingredient formats. Products with insufficient data are shown with a warning rather than a score.
Ingredient parsing
Our ingredient parser identifies likely errors — including formatting inconsistencies, encoding issues, truncated text, and entries that do not match known ingredient patterns. Flagged products are marked as "data may be incomplete" until resolved.
Community corrections
Since Open Food Facts and Open Beauty Facts are community-maintained, errors can be corrected directly at source by any contributor. IngredScan reflects the latest available data from these databases.
User reporting
Users can report incorrect product data directly in the app. Reported issues are reviewed and, where possible, corrections are submitted back to the Open Food Facts / Open Beauty Facts community.
IngredScan does not have a dedicated data verification team. Always check the physical product label for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Scores and ingredient analyses are estimates based on available community data.
Have a question about our methodology?
support@ingredscan.com →