Food Metric is an informational shopping tool. Scores, additive notes, and agency themes are for curiosity and label context only — not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for reading the package or talking with a qualified professional.
Authorities
- U.S. FDA — Food additives & ingredients — How the FDA oversees many food additives and GRAS substances in the United States.
- U.S. FDA — Color additives — Regulatory context for certified and exempt color additives.
- EFSA — Food additives — European Food Safety Authority topic hub for additive risk assessments.
- IARC — Monographs on carcinogens — WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer classifications (e.g. Groups 1, 2A, 2B).
- IARC — Processed meat (Group 1) — Public summary on processed meat and cancer risk (IARC press release themes).
- WHO — Healthy diet — General nutrition guidance used as high-level context for sugar, salt, and fat signals.
How scores work
- The Food metric score (1–10) summarizes nutrition density signals, additive concern tiers from our glossary, and processing cues (including NOVA-style themes when available).
- Additive concern levels map to public regulatory debates and agency themes (FDA, EFSA, IARC) — not a clinical risk score for you personally.
- Agency ingredient notes highlight substances that appear in public carcinogen-related debates; they are not a diagnosis or a complete IARC listing.
- Always verify allergens and ingredients on the physical package before eating.
Product data
- Open Food Facts — Crowdsourced product labels and nutrition data we use when matching barcodes.
In the app
Open Catalog and tap Health sources at the end of the list, open any product and tap Sources & methodology under the score, or go to Profile → Sources. Additive and factor detail sheets also link to sources.